Walking On Dreams
by schreibfeather
Summary: When Haley Potter refuses to return to Hogwarts after Christmas her mum knows something's wrong. There's a boy at school who keeps tormenting her but Lily comes up with a plan to get back at him. She simply has to spy on the boy in his dreams and find out his darkest secret. But what happens when what Haley finds out is different from what she expected? No Voldy. FemaleHarry. HP/DM
1. Bedtime Stories

**1 – Bedtime Stories**

 _"Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions."_  
 _― Edgar Cayce_

...

„ _Muuuum_ , can't I stay here? I don't wanna go back to Hogwarts," Haley Potter groaned over dinner like a five-year-old. It certainly was an unusual sight. For one, the auburn-haired girl wasn't known for behaving like a toddler and for another she loved Hogwarts! She loved learning about magic and spending every day with her friends but… something was definitely bothering her.

"Nonsense," her mother, Lily Potter admonished, "I know for a fact that you love Hogwarts. Why would you want to stay here with your boring old parents when you could learn how to brew the _Draught of Peace_ or _Baruffios' Brain Elixir_?"

Haley shared an eye-roll with her father, James Potter.

"But _mum_! I don't know if you remember but I am in fifth year now! Do you know how much homework we get every day? I barely made it to Christmas break without going insane!"

"Don't use that tone with me, Haley Petunia! And stop playing with your food."

"But _muuum!_ "

"If I hear another _but mum_ from you, I'm confiscating your Firebolt!"

"But m– I mean – _yes mum._ "

"Have you started packing yet? You know you won't have much time tomorrow, before we're leaving." Lily said for the fifth time that day.

"I'll start after dinner," Haley murmured, "do I really have to go back?"

Lily gave her a look that clearly said, she was done arguing about this. That look was bad news. But Haley was nothing if not stubborn. There was one last way…

" _Dad,_ " she pleaded in her most pitiful voice. She even resorted to pouting which was really stretching it far. James made the mistake of looking at her, so he was hit with her pouting face full force. He was trying hard to resist but Haley could see that he was losing the fight. She tried to look even more innocent and small. 3… 2… 1…

James looked away. "You heard what your mum said."

Damn, when had he learned to resist her kitten eyes? She didn't want to see the triumphant look on her mum's face.

"Fine," Haley spat, getting up from the table, "I might as well start packing then. In case I don't survive the rest of the term, don't blame _me,_ your only daughter!"

With that, she stormed out of the kitchen and up to her room.

…

There was a knock on her door.

"Go away!" Haley called as she continued carelessly throwing things into her suitcase.

The door opened.

"Mum says you should come down for tea," her little brother, Simon said. His hair had almost the same shade of auburn as hers did. But while Haley's long locks had a more reddish copper tint (like their mum's) Simon's hair always reminded her of bronze.

"Where were you at dinner?" She asked, squinting her eyes at him in a searching way.

"At Penny's..." Simon answered slowly.

Haley crossed her arms over her chest. "It's my last night at home and you'd rather spend it playing around than having dinner with your favourite sister?"

"You're my _only_ sister..." He muttered.

"What was that?" Haley asked harshly while she stalked over to her brother slowly.

"I – I mean – you – you won't miss me anyway." Simon admitted, looking at his feet sadly.

Now, that was enough to melt the heart of a big sister.

"Simon," she cooed, crushing the boy in her arms, "Of course I'll miss you, dummy. Who wouldn't miss their cute, annoying baby brother?"

"I'm not a baby," Simon muttered, "I'll be eleven next year. And then I can finally go to Hogwarts, too."

"Presuming you get the letter," Haley couldn't help but add.

"Haley!" Her brother complained from somewhere next to her shoulder. When had he got this tall?

"Just kidding," she relented, "I'm totally looking forward to it." She squeezed him tightly, before letting go completely. "But you know the rules, no calling me sister or 'sis' at school. Everyone will think I'm old, when they see I have a baby brother."

Simon didn't look impressed, "I'm not your ba-"

"I know, I know, let's go downstairs now, shall we? You probably won't be able to sleep, if you miss dessert." As she pulled her brother out of her room and down the stairs, she thought that she wouldn't even mind Simon's complaining if it meant she didn't have to go back to Hogwarts.

...

"Are you still going to eat that?" Simon asked.

"Yes," Haley whispered, even though she didn't have the least bit of an appetite. If she had been in a better mood she might have given her scone to Simon but as it was, her mood was terrible. And on top of that, if her brother ate one more scone, he would surely burst! Haley ignored the pout on Simon's face and stuffed her face with the pastry.

She didn't even have to look up from her plate to know, three pairs of eyes were watching her.

"Haley," her mum said cautiously, like she was a wounded animal or something.

"What?" Haley burst out, spitting food everywhere. She felt so angry all of a sudden.

"Why… why don't you want to go back to Hogwarts?"

"You ask me that _now_?" Haley shot her mum an angry look. But she wouldn't be her mum if she didn't meet it head on. No wavering. One eyebrow vanishing under her red hair. She didn't say anything, simply waiting for Haley to say what was on her mind. It had always been like that. Haley had always been the hot-headed one, just like her dad.

Haley took a sip of her tea. She was stalling for time.

After what seemed like minutes of her intently watching her lap, she took a deep breath and braced herself for the words, that were already waiting inside her throat.

"I can't go back," she told her lap quietly, "because… there's someone at school who..."

The rest of her words rushed out of her mouth like a tumbling river that had been contained for too long, "who makes my life a living hell! He's always there, tripping me up, calling me names, taunting me, messing up my potions and – and –" There was more, but before she could continue, she had to calm down somewhat or else she was going to bite her tongue off.

"And then there's also the insane amount of homework we have to do every day. Not to forget quidditch! I – I feel like I'm slowly going insane..."

For a while nobody said a word. When Haley finally looked up, she was met with contemplative faces.

She raised her eyebrows. Was that all? No other reaction?

In her mind, she had already heard her dad say something like, _'My daughter doesn't let herself be bullied by some stupid guy! She is a proud_ _G_ _ryffindor for_ _G_ _odric's sake! Who dares lay a finger on my Haley?'_

Her dad looked like he was going to say something exactly like that but her mum silenced him with a look.

"Hm," she said thoughtfully. Nothing more.

"Really? That's all you have to say to that? No helpful advice?" Haley asked, puzzled.

"Great," she spat with a snort, "I knew this was pointless."

She stood from her seat and rushed off toward her room for the second time that night.

…

As she was lying inside her bed that night, she couldn't stop herself from worrying.

 _Maybe it'll be okay! I'll just ignore him or hex him or hit him or – or… why does he even hate me that much? I never did anything to him, did I? Did I…?_

Haley's thoughts were rudely interrupted by her bedroom door opening. She caught a glimpse of red hair – of course it was her mum. She didn't want to talk to her, so she quickly turned around, facing the wall and pretended to be asleep.

 _Is it working?_ , she thought, as she tried to breathe in a natural way.

Her bed dipped with the weight of somebody sitting down. _You're asleep, you're asleep_ , Haley told herself repeatedly. Then there was a hand combing through her locks softly.

Haley sighed in contentment. She loved when her mum did that.

A chuckle. "So you _were_ awake."

Why did it have to feel so nice? Haley didn't answer. It wasn't necessary. They both knew she was awake.

"You've always enjoyed that far too much," Lily whispered, while she continued to massage her scalp.

"Don't wanna talk," Haley mumbled, still facing away from her mum.

"That's fine, you can just listen." She whispered.

Haley stayed quiet, she was still mad after all.

"I once… was your age, too, you know. I might understand you much better than you think."

The girl scoffed, "Is this the part where you tell me that life is hard but we have to get through anyway?"

Lily chuckled again. "I'm surprised the hat didn't put you into Ravenclaw with that brain of yours."

"Ha ha," Haley retorted.

"That boy you mentioned earlier… do you have an idea why he is giving you so much trouble?"

"No! That's exactly my point! I have not the slightest idea why he's being such a jerk! I have never done anything to bother him or annoy him or – I simply don't know!"

For a moment it seemed like Lily was contemplating her daughter's words.

"Since when?" She finally asked.

"What?"

"Since when does that boy harass you?"

"I," Haley had to think that over for a second, "Actually… I think… we've never really got along but… sometime around Christmas last year it started to get bothersome and since then it only got worse. It's almost like he wants me to constantly remember he's there." Haley shuddered at the thought.

"Around Christmas?" Lily asked, like this fact was particularly interesting.

Haley nodded. "Yeah, everyone was busy preparing for the Yule Ball and the git had nothing better to do but annoy the hell out of me! He almost ruined Neville's dress robes!" Neville had been her date for the Yule Ball.

"I see," her mum concluded.

Haley frowned. She turned around to face her.

"What do you mean, ' _you see'_? And why are you grinning like that?" The girl asked, sitting up so she could face her mum properly.

Lily shook her head and cupped her daughter's face in her left hand lovingly.

"You're still so innocent," she cooed, stroking the girl's cheek softly, "Don't you see that he – ah, no, I shouldn't."

"What do you mean, mum? Why won't you tell me?" Haley asked, sounding like a four-year-old.

"I think…" Lily began, biting her lips to keep herself from grinning, "I'm going to tell you a story."

"Now?" Haley asked in confusion. Was now really the time for a story?

"Scoot over," her mum instructed, climbing under the covers and leaning against the headboard next to her daughter.

"Back in fifth year," Lily started her story. She reached out toward Haley's hair and parted it into three equal sections.

"Hey – What are you-?" Haley complained.

"Shush, I'll braid them for you. It'll look beautiful in the morning." As her mum began to braid her hair, she tried to suppress a smile. It had been a while since the last time she had let her mum braid her hair. She would never admit how much she actually liked it. She wasn't five anymore after all.

Her mum knew it anyway.

"As I said, back in fifth year, there was a boy at Hogwarts who would always harass me and bother me and – well he was constantly up in my face, announcing he was there. You'd have to be a troll to miss his presence. It really drove me nuts!"

Haley listened intently. This sounded vaguely familiar.

"What did you do?"

"Well, there were times where I wanted to strangle him just to be finally rid of it all!"

"So… are you saying I should just strangle him?"

Lily was halfway done with the braid. She took a break to look up at her daughter with a little smile.

"As appealing as it may seem," her mum continued, "I'm afraid it wouldn't be all that appropriate. I don't know if I'd be able to bail you out if you actually killed someone," she shrugged, "Anyway, in my case I solved it by finding out the boy's deepest secret."

"A secret? What kind of secret?" Haley wondered curiously. Her mum laughed at that.

"Ah, it wouldn't be nice if I told you that… I might tell you one day. But for now I'm going to tell you a different secret."

Haley blinked in anticipation. Was this secret going to help her?

"I found a way to see what other people are dreaming."

Haley frowned. What was she saying?

"So, long story short, I spied on the boy while he was dreaming and found out about his secret. After I told him, he never bothered me again. Well… mostly. Hair tie?"

"On the bedside table," Haley answered absently, while her mum finished up her braid. It was running down the right sight of her face now, almost reaching her waist.

"Just like that?" She asked skeptically. "Wait – did you say you can see what other people are dreaming? How? Can you see any dream? Have you seen my dreams as well?"

"It's really not that complicated," Lily told her, "Mostly you need to somewhat know the person and have something on you that belongs to the one you want to visit."

"Visit?"

"Well, it's not simply watching the dream. If you do it correctly you can actually take part in it."

"What?" Haley wasn't so sure whether she was dreaming at the moment herself.

"Here." Lily reached into her hair, pulled out a tiny clasp, that looked like a flower with a green stone in the middle, and clipped it onto her daughter's braid.

"Now you have something that belongs to me so you'll be able to visit me in my dreams," she smiled.

"I'll just take… that," Lily plucked Haley's favourite owl bracelet from her bedside table and slipped it around her wrist.

"Hey, that's my favourite!" Haley protested.

"I know, I gave it to you," her mum retorted with a grin.

"And now all that's left to do for you is fall asleep. I'll come get you and explain the rest."

"What?" Haley asked, feeling like she had barely understood half of the things her mum had told her. But Lily had already got up from her bed and was standing at the door.

"Sleep," she ordered, before disappearing out of the room.

…

 _"It was impossible, of course. But when did that ever stop any dreamer from dreaming."_  
 _― Laini Taylor, Strange the Dreamer_

…

* * *

A/N: Hello and welcome to my new Harry Potter AU! If you recognize the concept of visiting people in their dreams, yes, I got that idea from Kerstin Gier's "The Book of Dreams Trilogy". Everything else will be from Harry Potter of course. Oh right and Haley's little brother... Cookies for the people who know from which story I plucked him :) I wonder who that jerk is that torments Haley at school... :D  
The title is inspired by the song "Walking on a Dream" from Empire of the Sun.  
Thank you for reading! Leave me your thoughts if you want to :)

Till next time, Feather


	2. How To Dream

**2 – How To Dream  
**

 _"All human beings are also dream beings. Dreaming ties all mankind together."_  
 _― Jack Kerouac_

 _..._

It's funny how hard falling asleep can be after someone tells you to do so. After what felt like hours Haley finally sunk into a deep sleep.

ooo

I am riding the Hogwarts Express. My godfather Sirius is sitting opposite me.

"Did you hear the latest _Brewing Brothers_ single?" Sirius asks, grinning.

"No," I say, "I didn't know they were doing new stuff."

Sirius fetches a green guitar from the luggage rack and starts to play a catchy tune.

"I love that song," I exclaim, recognizing the notes at once.

" _You've gotta waiiiiit… till the potion is reaaaady….lalala, till my potion is ready foooor youuu!_ "

We sing together. It's slightly off key but we've got too much fun to care about that.

Sirius hands me a bottle that looks suspiciously like it's filled with firewhisky. I'm not really old enough for firewhiskey yet but it's not like mum is around with her eagle eyes.

So I take the bottle and clunk it against my godfather's.

"Cheers!" We cheer at the same time and that's when the compartment door opens.

Weird. There's nobody in the hall! The door closes again but something about the door attracts my attention. It's the handle. The handle looks different from what it normally looks like.

It's silver and has the form of an extended wing. And the wing belongs to an… owl? It looks like the owl is stuck inside the door almost as if the wood has grown around it. From this side I can only see the left wing and the owl's head. Perhaps the right half will be visible from the other side. I stand up to go and check my theory when someone clears their throat behind me.

I turn around to find my mum sitting in the seat that I'd been sitting in only seconds before.

"Firewhiskey?" She asks, with a raised eyebrow.

Merlin! I totally forgot!

"I – I wasn't – Sirius-" I turn to my godfather for help but the seat that I could swear he'd sat in just a moment ago is empty.

I sigh, "Sorry, mum," I place my bottle on top of the little table near the window and take a seat opposite her.

"I wasn't going to drink it..." I mumble under my breath.

"Well, I didn't come here to lecture you about firewhiskey," mum says, "Listen closely now."

She leans toward me and I automatically mimick her posture. Our faces are only inches apart and I feel almost as if I am looking into a mirror. Well… except that she looks older. And she also doesn't have to wear glasses.

"Did you notice something?"

I shake my head no. Mum nods her head toward the compartment door. Perhaps…

"The owl?" I ask. Mum grins as an answer. Then she leans back in her seat and closes her eyes for a second. As soon as they're open again there are prongs on top of her head.

Huh? And her whole body sparkles! Skin, hair, everything! That in itself might be unusual but nothing too extraordinary. We're witches after all.

The crazy thing about this whole spectacle is that I can't see mum's wand anywhere. She did this without using her wand!

"That's – How did you-? Am I dreaming?" I ask rubbing my eyes in disbelief.

"Ten points for Gryffindor!" Mum exclaims. How unusual for her. Normally it's dad who resorts to these Gryffindor themed puns.

Mum grins. The prongs vanish and the only thing that keeps sparkling is her shirt.

"Oh, I like that," she says a little surprised, "Shall we?"

Mum stands from her seat and walks toward the compartment door where she waits for me.

"So… this is a dream?" I wonder, trying to wrap my head around the realisation. It's not the first time I realised I was dreaming while I was dreaming (complicated!) but I still need a moment to take it in. I look around the compartment and see that we're alone now. There's a chocolate frog on the seat to my right. I pick it up and imagine it would be a chocolate owl instead.

Before my eyes the frog sprouts feathers and turns into an owl.

"Woah!" I exclaim as the chocolate owl flies out of the window.

Then I remember parts of my conversation with mum earlier that night. Something about visiting each other…

"Mum? Is that really you?" She nods. "In my dream?" She nods again.

"But how did you-" I begin to say but mum interrupts me.

"I came through the door," she explains, gesturing toward the door. She grips the handle that looks like the owl's wing and pulls open the door.

"Come on."

"Where are we going?" I ask in confusion. What's happening here?

Mum reaches for my wrist and pulls me through the door that closes behind us. We're not on the train anymore. Wherever this is, I've never been here before.

It's a kind of corridor. A long hall with doors all around us. And they all look different. The doors, I mean. There are so many colours: green, bottle green, orange, silver, black, burgundy, yellow, red, gold, periwinkle, sky blue, pink, violet…

Some are made of wood others have glass fronts. There are even some out of metal!

"What is this place?" I wonder aloud.

"I like to call it the _dream_ _corridor_."

"Dream corridor…" I repeat and think about the words. Does that really mean-?

"Mum, do all of these doors lead to the dreams… of real people?"

"Yes. Very clever." Her shirt is still sparkling which kind of irritates me. There are so many colours! I slowly turn to the door we've just stepped through.

"Then this must be… " I begin to say but I'm stunned into silence by the sight that is in front of me.

"Your dream door," mum confirms.

"My dream door…" I repeat. I have no idea why I keep repeating mum's words like I'm too stupid to think of my own.

The first thing I see is an explosion of colours. Green mostly. My door looks like a massive painting. But there are no actual shapes recognizable. It's just an abstract splutter of different colours that run into one another. The painting itself is mostly concealed by thick tendrils that wind their way all around the picture. I can spot thorns all over them. It almost seems like the tendrils are embracing the painting in a protective way, as if they're keeping everything that is potentially harmful away. But at the same time it's impossible to see the whole painting like this.

"Why does my door look like that?" I ask no one in particular. I see a white wing peek out from between the thorns. I was right! From this side the other half of the owl is visible.

"Our doors resemble our inner selves," mum answers, "I was surprised, too when I first saw your door."

"Our inner selves," I repeat after my mum again, "but what does that mean?"

Mum looks at my door for a moment. Then she shrugs.

"There are many possible explanations. Perhaps you like painting or colours or thorns or… I don't know… Sleeping Beauty?"

Before I can make a fool out of me and stupidly repeat "Sleeping Beauty", I grab mum's arm and ask her, "What does your door look like?"

Would it be far away? Will we have to travel through endless halls until we would finally reach mum's door? But mum doesn't move an inch. It can't be far then.

I look around and there right next to my door on the left… is that hers? The door is made up of wood that's painted mint green. There's a small, round window in the top half that's surrounded by white lilies which are painted onto the wood. In front of the door on the left side there is a huge bronze cauldron with a steaming liquid inside. It looks… welcoming. Not like my own dream door. Before I can stop myself I walk up to the door and reach for the door handle.

An arm stops me.

"Not so fast," mum admonishes, "Are you wearing the clasp?"

I nod in answer, but she still doesn't let go of my arm. "If you touch that you'll get an electric shock."

I step back.

"Really? Electric shocks?" And I thought my door was aggressive.

"Well I can't have anybody march right into my dreams," mum murmurs.

"So, how do we get in then?" I ask.

Mum reaches for the cauldron but before she can dip her hand into the clear liquid, it turns to fire.

"Mum, watch out!" I grab at her shirt and try to pull her away but she completely ignores me.

She calmly reaches into the cauldron, not even flinching, and fetches a little key from the depths of it.

"Mum?" I whisper hesitantly. She shakes her head and inserts the key into the keyhole. She turns it until we hear a clicking sound and then opens the door. As far as I can tell there was no electricity involved.

"Did you lie about the shocks?" I inquire, frowning at her.

"That's what we needed the key for, dummy," she answers and gestures for me to enter.

"Oh." I'm not sure whether I really understand what mum's talking about but that doesn't stop me from walking through her dream door. Mum follows suit, closing the door behind us.

"It's Hogwarts!" I exclaim, recognizing the grounds and the Big Lake at one glance.

"I used to be a student here, too, you know," mum reminds me. Well, of course I know that. It's not like I'm stupid or anything.

"Come on let's sit by the lake. You must have a lot of questions."

We walk down toward the lake, where a big red blanket appears out of nowhere. Before I can wonder where it has come from, there's a tablet with pastries in the middle of it and next to it a teapot with two teacups.

"Did you do that?" I ask as I sit down on one end of the blanket.

"It's not that hard. All you need is a little practise." Mum sits down opposite me and makes a teacup float into my hand. The teapot floats toward my cup and fills it with a clear liquid.

"Is that water?" I wonder, holding the cup up to my nose and sniffing it. I don't smell anything.

"Try to imagine your favourite drink," mum advises, sipping from her own cup, "Mmm. Strawberry and vanilla lemonade!"

My favourite drink… How about… pumpkin juice? I imagine the orange colour and the slightly thick consistence of pumpkin juice. I take a sip.

"I can't taste anything!"

Mum laughs at me. I really feel the love.

"It's harder than it looks," she says, "try to remember the taste."

When was the last time I drank pumpkin juice? I can't remember. Maybe I should try with another drink? I look at my cup and try to recall the exact taste of the hot chocolate I had earlier in the day. When I'm pretty sure I can actually taste the flavour of chocolate on my tongue I take another sip.

"Woah!" I gasp, "It really tastes like chocolate!"

"Great! Now that we've established what chocolate tastes like let's move on to our main topic. I'm sure you're already bursting with curiosity."

"Right. So, you said I can enter someone's dream only if I have something that belongs to them right?"

Mum nods.

"Why did we need a key then?"

Mum swallows her lemonade before answering, "Well, it's not like it's impossible to obtain a personal object of mine."

"Do many people know about the dream corridor then?"

"I don't think so," she says, "But you can never be careful enough with something as private as your own dreams." That makes sense.

"How exactly does your defense mechanism work?" I need to know that in case I want to visit mum in the future.

Mum sets her cup down. "I told you that the handle is electrified? The key interrupts the electricity and in order to obtain the key you need to fetch the right one from the cauldron first."

"The right one?" Does that mean there is more than just one key?

"Exactly. And they all look the same," mum confirms with one raised eyebrow.

"But then how-?"

"The cauldron allows people to find the right key only if their intentions aren't malicious. Otherwise…"

"What would happen otherwise?"

"I imagine the fire would burn their hands. Or they'd get an electric shock." Mum says without batting an eye.

Woah. She can be really scary sometimes.

"So basically I just need a personal object and I need to get past whatever is guarding the dream door in order to visit someone in their dreams?"

"Correct," mum agrees, "And on top of that well…" Mum vanishes into thin air. Then she reappears a second later with her whole body sparkling again. I jump back in surprise.

"You can also do cool stuff like this," she says, grinning.

" _Mum!_ _Could you give me a warning the next time you decide to turn yourself into a human disco ball?_ " She stops sparkling. But she looks a little disappointed.

"Fine. The shirt," I relent. And just a second later her shirt is sparkling again.

"Mum?"

"Yes, poppet?"

"Why is your dream door right next to mine?"

"I noticed that even in our dreams we are surrounded by the people who are closest to us."

"Does that mean… that all the doors we saw… belong to people who are close to us?"

"Yes. In one way or another."

That's interesting. I can't wait to really explore all the doors in the dream corridor.

Mum gives me a look, that tells me she knows exactly what I'm thinking about. She squints her eyes at me.

"No more exploring tonight," she instructs.

"But _mum_ – I mean – I mean – ugh. _Why?_ "

"You need to be well-rested for tomorrow."

I frown. "What do you mean _well-rested_? I _am_ resting! And I'm gonna be on the train most of the day anyway."

Mum raises one eyebrow at me in amusement. "You'll see," is all she says.

"Wow, thanks. I know exactly what you're talking about," I reply with a snort.

Mum gets up. "I'll take you back to your own dream."

She leads the way and there's nothing for me to do but follow her.

"Why are we walking toward Hagrid's hut?" I wonder, recognizing the little hut. But after a closer look I notice that the handle looks different. Delicate leaves and lilies are carved into the bronze door knob, that doesn't seem to fit the heavy wooden door at all.

As soon as we get to the door mum opens it. It leads us right to the dream corridor! As we step into the hall I glance at all the doors longingly. Mum is already at my door, waiting for me.

"I'm just going to look around a bit," I say in my sweetest, most innocent voice.

But to my disappointment, it has stopped working on her a long time ago.

"You can look around another time," she says resolutely.

"You're no fun," I mutter, as I reach my door.

"What?" Mum says in a hurt tone, "You think a human disco ball is no fun?"

She starts her one-woman sparkling show again and I almost laugh. Almost.

I reach for the owl wing and open my dream door. I can always wait until she's back inside her own dream. Then I'll finally get to properly take a look around.

"Don't worry I'll stand watch!" That's the last thing I hear before my door closes behind me. So much for exploring… Well, she won't be standing in front of my door the whole night, right?

How nice would it be to have one of those soft and cuddly armchairs from the Gryffindor common room right here. As soon as I think it an armchair appears in front of me! This dream thing is awesome!

How long will I have to wait? It's hard to tell time when you're asleep. It feels like ten minutes have passed, so I decide to check if mum is still outside.

I tiptoe over to my door and slowly push down the handle. I open the door and find… nothing but an empty corridor! Yes! That means I have all the time in the world to explore the-

ooo

"Haley... Haley..."

"What-where am I? Where's the corridor? What-?" Haley spluttered as she woke up with a start.

"Mum?" She asked hesitantly. Someone had been whispering her name in her sleep. And from the looks of it it had been her mum, who was kneeling in front of her bed, touching one of Haley's shoulders.

"Did you wake me?" Haley asked in disbelief.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, "It was the only way to keep you out of the corridor for now."

Haley scowled. This was not fair! All she wanted to do was take a look around!

"I'll come to wake you in about three hours," Lily informed her, "And if you see your dream door, don't get any ideas okay? Trust me on this."

Haley sighed. "Fine," she agreed.

"Thank you," Lily whispered with a smile. She gently tucked the sheets in around her body and brushed some stray locks away from her face.

" _Mum,_ " Haley groaned in annoyance. She wasn't a little kid anymore! But if she was honest, it _was_ kind of nice. She felt safe and warm and loved. And a little embarrassed, maybe but who was there to judge her?

"Goodnight, Haley," Lily said, kissing her cheek softly.

"Night mum," Haley whispered back as she got into a comfortable position.

Lily got up and walked over to the door. "I'm not going to check on you," she said quietly, before vanishing out of the door. She didn't even wait for an answer! It wasn't necessary.

It basically meant Lily trusted her to keep her word. And there was little more that Haley hated than to disappoint her mum. Well, the dream corridor wasn't going to run away, was it?

With that thought in mind Haley closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come.

…

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! So now you hopefully have an idea how the whole dreaming thing works! I hope the whole POV and tense change is not too confusing but I wanted to create a different feel for the dream world and the real world. Next chapter it's time to get back to Hogwarts! Thank you for reading and favouriting! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this :)

Till next time, Feather


	3. The Poster of Myron Wagtail

**3 – The Poster of Myron Wagtail**

 _"Dreams are illustrations...from the book your soul is writing about you."_  
 _― Marsha Norman, The Fortune Teller_

 _..._

"Here."

Haley found herself with a new pair of fingerless quidditch gloves. Technically the gloves weren't new, seeing as they used to belong to her brother Simon but…

"Why are you giving me your old quidditch gloves?" Haley asked Simon, while they were waiting in front of the barrier that lead to platform 9 ¾. Their parents were somewhere on the platform, busily talking to some of their old friends from school.

"Yesterday you said that someone at school was bullying you," her brother stated.

" _Yes_ ," Haley said, drawing out the _e_. Where was he going with this?

"Do you remember, when I told you about that mean boy from our rival team who always kicked me off my broomstick for fun?"

Haley scowled at the reminder. "Yes," she said lowly, "How could I forget that little brat that always harassed my baby brother?"

"I'm not your ba– well anyway, when I told you what did you do?"

"You mean when you came to me crying your little eyes out?"

"Haley!" Simon shouted angrily. He even stomped his foot on the ground.

"Fine. I'll be nice," she relented.

"So?" Simon urged, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Well since you're a helpless child and everything, I hexed your quidditch gloves for you. It was so cool! They gave off electric shocks and stuff."

"Exactly," Simon said, nodding eagerly. He was trying to tell her something. But Haley was at a loss. She inspected the gloves closely.

"But didn't you say the spell had worn off?" She asked.

"Well, I did say that…"

"But?"

"Maybe it wasn't the whole truth?" Simon said, sounding like he was asking a question.

"You lied?" Haley asked in astonishment.

"Well, mum was going to take them away, once she found out about the electric shocks… What was I supposed to do?" He retorted defiantly.

Haley blinked at her brother in wonder. Then she started to laugh heartily.

"Merlin, Simon," she gasped, "I didn't know you had it in you. I'm impressed. Does dad know?"

Simon glanced over his shoulder where their parents were standing, still engaged in their conversation.

"It was actually his idea," he admitted quietly.

Haley laughed again. Her family was the best entertainment. Once she had calmed down from her laughing fit she stored the gloves safely inside her bag.

"Thank you, Simon. I'm going to miss you!" She exclaimed, as she pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

"I can't breeeaaathe!" Her brother wailed.

"I don't caaaare," Haley sang, echoing his tone. After another moment she finally released him.

"Love you, baby bro," she said, as she gave him a loud smack on the cheek.

" _Haley!_ " Simon protested. Haley ruffled his hair fondly.

"What's taking them so long?" She wondered, looking around for their parents. Where had they gone now? She couldn't see them anymore.

Simon turned around to look for them as well. "Oooh, it's your _boyfriend,_ " her brother said in a mocking tone.

Haley hit him on the shoulder. "He's not my boyfriend," she hissed, as soon as she'd spotted the Longbottoms who were making their way over to the two siblings.

"Well, not anymore," Haley mumbled, glancing over at Neville Longbottom sheepishly.

She had always had a crush on the boy with the sandy blond hair and the round face. There was always a kind smile on his face and he had a really strong sense of justice. Haley found that extremely attractive. His eyes were an intense shade of blue. Sky blue. When the sun shone brightly. He _was_ like the sun, always putting a smile onto her face.

He caught her gaze and waved at her, smiling widely. Haley felt herself blushing. She removed the hair tie from her high ponytail and let her auburn locks flow over her shoulders freely. They were framing her face in a nice, curly way. In her mind she thanked her mum for braiding her hair the night before. It also had the added effect of shielding her face from too observant eyes.

"Haley, hi!" Neville greeted her, pulling her into an embrace, "How are you?"

"I'm – great! Thank you! I -"

He was pulling away and his face was surprisingly close to hers. She remembered what it felt like to kiss him.

Simon snorted.

Haley took a step back. She had to remind herself that she was over him.

"Shut up," she hissed at her brother, elbowing him lightly.

"Hi Simon!" Neville greeted her brother and raising his hand. Simon high-fived him.

"Neville! Your grandma already went ahead to the platform. We should hurry or you won't have enough time to say bye," said Mrs Longbottom, who had just arrived next to them together with Neville's dad, "Hello Haley, dear, did you have good holidays? And is that you, Simon? The last time I saw you you were barely as tall as our dining table."

"Well, I-" Simon started to answer but Mrs Longbottom interrupted him.

"In case you're looking for your parents, they were right behind us but it seems they were held up by one of your dad's former quidditch colleagues. Well... I'm sure they'll be here soon. Come now, Neville, your grandma..." She trailed of, glancing over toward the barrier that lead to platform 9 ¾.

"I guess it's time," Neville said, "See you on the other side."

He vanished through the barrier, followed by his parents and Haley tried not to watch him go. She sighed. Simon patted her shoulder in support. Why was he that tall? The top of his head already reached her chin!

"Didn't you say you were over him?" He asked.

"I am," Haley insisted. She had asked Neville out before the Yule Ball last year and they had been dating ever since. Everything had been great for the first two or three months but then…

One day Neville had told her, he didn't feel ready to be in a committed relationship just then. He'd said that he cherished their friendship too much to ruin it over a romantic relationship. And if they still wanted to they would have enough time to try again later.

It had come completely out of the blue. And to say it bluntly, Haley had been crushed. But she had accepted it. And she had gotten over it. It was okay when other people were around but being alone with Neville? Being so close to him? That was hard.

But she could do it. It helped that the boys at Hogwarts weren't afraid to show her that there were definitely a lot of them interested in being her boyfriend. She knew what her shiny long hair and her sparkling, green eyes did to them. She looked like her mum after all!

It helped. But it wasn't always enough.

"Quick now," her mum shooed, she had appeared next to them, with their dad in tow, "I don't want you to miss the train!" Haley tried not to roll her eyes in annoyance. It wasn't like she was the one who hadn't be able to stop bragging about her glorious quidditch days.

"That's right! I'm not calling your godfather again so that he can give you a ride in his motorcycle! That seat is reserved for me!" Her dad chimed in.

"Got it," Haley mumbled, chuckling softly. Riding in Sirius' motorcycle was awesome! Maybe she should delay her departure on purpose. She could fake an injury or something.

"Haley Potter! Don't you dare even think of it!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Haley mumbled, as she, too vanished through the barrier. It was a shame how well her dad knew her. She had been learning from the best after all. He had been the one to teach her all the tricks.

…

The train ride was uneventful. Haley caught up with her friends Hermione and Ron, ate her own weight in Bertie Bott's Beans and tried not to let Hermione's worrying about the OWLs affect her too much. It was a beautiful day really. Not too cold and the sun was shining. Haley had almost forgotten about the reason why she had been this reluctant to return to Hogwarts in the first place.

Almost. She had been about to exit the train when somebody came up behind her and pushed her right out of the train. She landed on the platform on her hands and knees, getting bruises all over them.

"HEY!" She angrily yelled at the person that had pushed her.

"It's not my fault you can't even exit a train like a proper human being," drawled Draco Malfoy, as he nimbly hopped off the train.

"You pushed me, you slimy little-" Haley started to say, sitting up slowly.

"Leave her alone!" Neville screamed, interrupting her.

"What are you going to do about it?" Malfoy asked condescendingly, "Throw a geranium at me?"

Malfoy left the scene, but Haley could still hear him cackling along with his cronies.

Haley sighed. She hated feeling so weak. Why couldn't she have thrown a hex at him? Or at least insult him properly? She had fought back in the beginning of course but at some point… she'd kind of given up. It was all too much. And why was the git always picking on her in the first place?

"Are you okay?" Neville asked, holding out his hand to her. Haley took his hand and let him help her up.

"Yeah," she breathed looking at her hand, that Neville was still holding, inspecting it for injuries.

"Does it hurt?" He asked.

"It's fine," Haley said, pulling her hand from his grasp. She wasn't going to make this harder than it had to be. "Where are Ron and Hermione?" She asked, looking for them in the crowd.

"There you are," Hermione said, as she was running toward them, "We were looking for you. Ron already found us a carriage. Did you fall down?" She added, after she'd noticed the scratches on her hands.

"Malfoy," was all she offered but it was enough for Hermione to understand what had happened.

"Slimy bastard," Hermione hissed, "Come on, let's get you to the castle."

Hermione put an arm around her and with Neville in tow they made their way toward the carriages where Ron was already waiting.

…

Before Haley went to bed that night, she made sure to put her mum's clasp in her hair. And she squeezed her hand into one of her brother's gloves for good measure. It was a tight fit but luckily her hands were fairly small. She would be able to explore the dream corridor tonight! Haley was almost too excited to fall asleep. She took a deep calming breath and closed her eyes.

 **ooo**

I'm in my room back at home, playing a game of chess with Simon on my bed. I capture his queen with one of my four knights.

"Check," I say with a grin. Simon is rubbish at chess.

My brother captures my king with a chocolate frog.

"Checkmate," he says triumphantly. Wow, I've never been defeated by a chocolate frog. Well, he said 'checkmate', so I guess I've lost.

Simon gets up from my bed and dances happily through my room. Is this the first time he's won against me? As I follow him with my eyes, I notice something strange on my door. Instead of my normal door handle there is the left half of an owl on my door. It's the door to the dream corridor! I must be dreaming! I quickly walk toward the door and open it.

Just like yesterday night, the corridor is there. Like it's been waiting for me all along.

There's mum's door to the right. And to the left… I walk over to the door and glance at it quickly. It looks like a bakery. There are pastries and sweets behind the glass front. A broomstick is leaning against the door and all over the glass front it says in scraggy letters:

 _Simon's_ _Sweets and Scones._

Even without the writing I would've recognized my little brother's door without a second glance. I smile at his door fondly. I'm wearing his glove… I could take a look inside right now.

But first I want to see more of the corridor. There is one door that I am especially curious about. I wander along the corridor, making a game out of guessing whose door I may be passing along the way.

There is a door made of books instead of wood (I wonder who that one belongs to. Not really, just kidding. That door _screams_ Hermione.) and another that seems to be half tree, half door. (Neville probably.) Another door looks like it is the entrance to a castle or something. I wonder how far I'll have to go until I find Draco Malfoy's door. What would it look like?

It's hard to tell how long I've been wandering around already. Has it been hours? Despite my earlier beliefs it's not just one long corridor but a whole maze with many different halls and after every turn I wonder whether I'll find my way back to my own dream door again. Maybe it's time to go back and look again more closely.

Otherwise I'd wake up before I even found Malfoy's door. I turn around and try to trace my steps back. I only took right turns, so it shouldn't be too hard to find my way back.

After a while I see something familiar. It's a brightly coloured door with a huge package next to it that's blinking wildly and has the word _SURPRISE_ written across it. The door next to that looks almost the same but the colours are more subdued and not as flashy. Fred and George. One day – or better night – I want to find out what kind of dreams are hiding behind those two doors.

Only a few doors further ahead I can spot my own door and the roses and tendrils that surround it. Before I can reach it my eyes catch on another door.

It's the one with the two big, black doors, that looks like the entrance to a castle. I stop to inspect it more carefully. On the right door there is a heavy knocker that looks like it's a snake made of silver. The snake's eyes seem to be glistening emeralds. Is this the door I've been looking for?

But the left door doesn't fit in with the image. There is a big poster of the _Weird_ _Sisters_ pinned all over it and in front of it leans an acoustic guitar. Malfoy doesn't play the guitar. And he sure as hell isn't a fan of the _Weird_ _Sisters_. But what if… that really is his door? I need something that belongs to Malfoy. Otherwise I'll never find out whether this really is his door or not.

"Who are you and what are you doing in front of my master's door?"

I freeze at the spot. Who said that? I look around but I can't find the owner of the voice.

"Up here," the voice says and I try not to snort, as I realise that Myron Wagtail, the lead singer of the _Weird Sisters_ is talking to me. Well, at least the poster version of him.

Is this Malfoy's subconsciousness talking? What a weird thought. Maybe now is the moment to disguise myself somewhat. After all, I don't know how much of this Malfoy actually perceives. I imagine myself with a big, dark hood, that completely covers my face. It turns dark in front of me. There, that wasn't too hard. But now I can't see anything myself. I imagine a little window that allows me to see through the hood without other people seeing my face. Did it work? I can see fine now. I reach for the fabric in front of my face. I can still touch it. I guess it must have worked then.

"I'm a friend," I say in a low voice, "What's the key to open Draco Malfoy's dream door?"

It's a trick question. I don't expect the guard to tell me about the actual key but I might be able to confirm whether this is his door or not.

"Ha ha ha," Myron Wagtail laughs, "You don't expect me to let just anybody into my master's dreams? That's not the right _tune."_

Had it really been that easy? Malfoy must be more stupid than I'd given him credit for. Well, until I got a personal object from him, I can't be sure. And then there is also the _tune_ thing.

"What do you mean, "tune"?" I ask innocently.

"Ha ha ha," the singer laughs again, "I'm not gonna tell you the right tune. Do I look stupid?"

Actually, you do. I barely refrain myself from saying that out loud. While he said "tune" I noticed his eyes straying toward the guitar briefly. Does that mean I have to play something on the guitar to get in? Interesting.

"That's too bad," I reply, feigning disappointment, "I guess I won't be able to get in after all."

Myron Wagtail nods and smiles at me sweetly. I get the impression that it's not genuine.

"Well, go along your way then," he says, waving me away.

"Good night, Myron," I say, as I turn around and make my way back to my own dream door.

I have found out enough for now. It doesn't take long to reach my door. As I reach for the door handle I try not to wonder what it means that Malfoy's dream door is this close to mine.

…

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you a lot for reading and reviewing and favouriting this :) I had no idea how students get back to Hogwarts after winter break. Is it by train? Well, that's what I went with anyway. If you're following my other fics you probably know this already but I'll write it again here. I'm starting my thesis fairly soon so we'll see how often I get to update. I'll try not to make you wait to long and I would love to hear your thoughts on the chapter or the story in general. Also feel free to share ideas for dreams that would be fun.

Have fun and keep reading, Feather :)


	4. A Terrible Nightmare

**4 – A terrible nightmare**

A/N: **...ooo...** This signals the beginning or end of a dream.

* * *

 _"DEATH: "Mostly they aren't too keen to see me. They fear the sunless lands. But they enter your realm each night without fear."_

 _MORPHEUS: "And I am far more terrible than you, sister."_  
 _― Neil Gaiman, Preludes & Nocturnes_

 _..._

 _"Is that me?,' Leo said. 'Like me-having this dream-looking at me having a dream?"_  
 _― Rick Riordan, The Lost Hero_

* * *

"Okay. And make sure to take something not too obvious. Something he won't notice right away." Haley told Ron in a conspiratorial tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Why exactly are we doing that again?" The red-head asked absently.

"Revenge! I told you. Quick now, he's coming!" Haley whispered, shooing her friend away so that now she was the only person standing in front of the potions class room. Most of their class mates hadn't arrived yet but from the corridor behind her Haley could hear a group of Slytherins make their way over to them. How did she know they were Slytherins? Well for one, their laughter never sounded particularly friendly. And for another… she had seen them a second ago.

Now, she couldn't see them, as she was standing with her back towards them. It was an uncomfortable feeling, not being able to see what was coming… As a Gryffindor, shouldn't she find it thrilling? Waiting for the inevitable and getting ready for a figh-

"Hey Potter," drawled the voice of the most awful person Haley knew, "How cute. Have you been waiting for _me_?" The voice was getting closer and closer until…

A hand grabbed her left shoulder, turning her around roughly. But she was prepared.

Before Malfoy could do as much as squeak (not that he would ever squeak but…) Haley sank to the ground, pulling him down with her forcefully.

"What the-?" He began to say but the git was already lying on the ground, only a few feet away from her. Haley looked for his school bag. Damn. It was lying on the ground right next to Malfoy.

She sighed. It was no use. With a whispered " _Depulso"_ she made his bag slide over to where Ron was standing.

Had Malfoy noticed something? No. He was too busy rubbing his elbow in annoyance.

"Potter you utter-" Malfoy said as he got into a sitting position. But Haley would never hear the rest of the insult. She couldn't let him get up before Ron had completed their mission. So she jumped on top of him. That's when Malfoy squeaked.

"Get off me, Potter!" He yelled angrily, trying to push her off him. But she didn't move an inch, sitting on his stomach and gripping his wrists tightly.

"Not until you've promised you won't bother me anymore!" Haley insisted. Her long braid was hovering directly over Malfoys face, tickling him. He freed his right hand from her grip and swatted her hair away in annoyance.

Malfoy chuckled mockingly. "You wish," he sneered, and rolled them around in a swift move so that he was the one on top, pressing her arms to the floor. The look he gave her was so intense, that Haley feared he was going to punch her. She knew what her dad would have done in that situation: He would have smiled and punched the git before he'd have a chance to hit him. And her mum? She would have met his gaze head on, daring him to do his worst. Never showing the hint of fear like a true Gryffindor. As much as Haley wanted to make her parents proud, she couldn't do either of those. Instead she closed her eyes tightly and turned her face away in fear like a coward. Malfoy's grip on her arms loosened considerably.

"I wasn't going to hit you, idiot," he said quietly, sounding almost appalled. At the tone of his voice Haley had to open her eyes and see what was going on for herself. He was frowning at her like he found the mere suggestion ridiculous. What the hell? Now, he was a guy with principles or what? Pushing her out of a train was okay but he wasn't going to punch her?

"Get off her, you git!" A voice called, and a second later someone was pulling the Slytherin away from her.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Longbottom!"

 _Neville_ , Haley thought in relief. Then her eyes widened in alarm. No, no, no, this was bad! What if Ron hadn't found a suitable object yet?

"Wait!" She yelled, holding onto Malfoy's arm, before he could get up fully.

"What now, Potter!" Malfoy hissed, sounding irritated.

"I-" She opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything useful to say.

"Is there a problem?" A deep voice asked, with a threatening undertone.

Haley hadn't even heard the bell, but it seemed Professor Snape had arrived already.

"No, there is no problem at all, sir," Malfoy said calmly after he had got up. As she let Neville help her up, Haley saw, that Professor Snape was eyeing the Slytherin suspiciously.

"Is that true?" He asked with a look in Haley's direction. She was tempted to say _no,_ and see how the little git was trying to worm himself out of the situation. But she wouldn't sink down to his level. Not if she could help it.

"Yes," she said, with a smile, "we had a little misunderstanding but it's all resolved now."

"If you say so," Professor Snape drawled in a disinterested voice. Haley had to hold back a grin. Although Malfoy was in Professor Snape's house, he had never taken his side when he had found him fighting with her. And Malfoy had long ago stopped trying to manipulate him into punishing her. It had never ended in his favour anyway. Haley didn't know why but for some reason Professor Snape liked her. Or maybe _tolerated_ was the better word. It had not always been like that. In the beginning she had even thought he disliked her more than he seemed to dislike students in general. (Students that were not Slytherins anyway.)

But Haley had always had an exceptional talent for potions. (Her mum was a genius where potions were concerned and Haley had grown up watching her brew one fascinating potion after another. Once she had been old enough to help it had become something the two witches regularly did together.)

She suspected it was the fact that she liked potions so much that made him respect her. On the other hand Malfoy, was quite talented in the subject as well… So there had to be another reason.

With a _boom_ the doors to the potions class room opened and Snape entered, his robes billowing behind him like a cape. The Gryffindors and Slytherins followed him quickly.

Where was Ron? Haley tried to make her friend out among her fellow students. There he was, already entering the class room with Hermione. But where was Malfoy's bag? Ah, she spotted it… hanging over Malfoy's shoulder. He was glaring at her disdainfully, but she ignored him. As she walked into the dungeon she hoped Ron had enough time to carry out their plan.

During the lesson she didn't dare question him about it because Malfoy was hovering around their table every now and then. There was no doubt he was looking for an opportunity to mess up her potion. She couldn't let her cauldron out of her sight for more than a few seconds, she had to keep an eye on Malfoy and on top of that she had to make sure not to mess up her potion herself.

It was more than a little stressful. But at the end of the lesson, she corked up a flask of her finished Invigoration Draught and walked up to Professor Snape's table to hand in her potion with a triumphant grin.

"Watch out!" Someone shouted near her. Haley turned around, to find Neville crash into her forcefully. With her right hand she managed to hold onto a nearby table, preventing them from falling over.

"Sorry," Neville apologized, "I stumbled – I – I don't know where that bag came from. I swear it wasn't there a second ago."

"It's fine," Haley assured him, now that she was slowly getting used to his presence again, it was easier to talk to the boy, "Let me just-"

Haley stared at her left hand in shock. Where was her potion? She didn't have to look for long to find it: Glass splinters and a sad puddle on the floor. Haley inhaled deeply. That was no problem at all. She would simply go back to her cauldron and fill up another bottle.

Except her cauldron was empty.

"No, no, no, that can't be. That can't-" Haley's throat began to tighten up. She looked up in search of one face in particular. Malfoy was packing up his things. The git had surely handed in his potion already. There was a disgustingly amused grin on his face that made Haley growl in anger. He wasn't even looking at her, which made it all the more evident. It had been him. All of it. She knew it. But she couldn't prove it.

She balled her hands to fists. There was a burning sensation behind her eyes. _Not now_ , she thought. This was all so unfair! But the git didn't know what was coming for him.

"Just you wait," she whispered angrily. She was going to show him what she was capable of. It was time to fight back.

…

Over dinner, Haley finally got around to asking Ron about their mission.

"So, did you find something?" She asked eagerly.

"I-" Ron replied, "There wasn't much. The usual stuff you know? Quills, rolls of parchment, and loads of sweets… That bloke has a massive sweet tooth. Guess he has to make up for his own lack of sweetness somehow." He laughed roaringly, helping himself to a big bowl of chocolate pudding.

"And?" Haley urged. She twirled the end of her braid around her fingers in anticipation. She couldn't even eat.

"I also found some crumpled notes that looked interesting but there wasn't enough time to go through them."

" _Ron_ ," she groaned impatiently, "Wasn't there anything _useful_?"

"Oh, right," he replied, catching up on her impatient tone, "I don't know if that's what you were looking for but..." He trailed off, fetching something from the pocket of his robes and placing it on the table in front of Haley. It was a green gobstone. A glinting gobstone with a hole in the middle and a dark leather band that was going through it.

"A gobstone?" Haley asked in surprise. She had expected something more spectacular.

Ron shrugged. "You told me, to take something he wouldn't miss right away,"

"Yeah," Haley whispered, turning the gobstone around in her hands experimentally. What did Malfoy carry a gobstone around for? And why the leather band?

"You definitely found it in his bag, right?" She asked.

Ron nodded in confirmation.

"Then that's enough," she said more to herself, as she slipped the gobstone into her pocket. If Malfoy saw her tinkering around with his gobstone, her whole plan would have been for naught.

Although it was unlikely that he'd be able to make out the gobstone from all the way across the Great Hall, she didn't want to risk it.

"Are you going to tell us about your plan now?" Hermione asked. She was sitting opposite Haley and had quietly listened.

"Soon," Haley said vaguely. She would have told Ron but she was reluctant to tell Hermione. It was very likely that her friend would try to talk her out of her plan. She certainly wouldn't support a plan that involved spying on other people's dreams.

Hermione eyed her suspiciously. "It's nothing that goes against the rules, is it? Or something dangerous?"

"Hermione you worry too much," said Ron, coming to her rescue, "You know Haley. She wouldn't do something like _that_. Her mum is almost as strict as mine!"

Haley snorted. She couldn't help it. Her mum was strict indeed. But that didn't mean she wasn't above breaking a few rules every now and then. Hermione didn't look convinced.

"Exactly," Haley said, as she placed a slice of blueberry pie onto her plate. She picked up a piece with her fork and brought it up to her mouth. It tasted delicious.

"I wouldn't do something like that," she continued nonchalantly. A few blueberries had tumbled out of her pie. "Not even to Malfoy," She whispered, as she crushed the blueberries with her fork.

…

It was even harder to fall asleep this time around although she had felt inexplicably tired all day. Haley couldn't wait to finally be able to get back at Malfoy. She even resorted to counting hippogriffs! At 3840 hippogriffs she started to get frustrated, as she was still as awake as 10 minutes before. For the umpteenth time Haley checked, whether the leather band was still tied around her wrist (it was long enough to fit around her wrist three times!). In case she wanted to visit her mum or her brother, she was also wearing one of Simon's gloves and her mum's clasp. She was ready. Now there was nothing left to do but fall asleep…

 **...ooo...**

There are hippogriffs all over the dorm. Two are sitting calmly on my bed. What the hell?

"You still haven't reached 4000 yet," a hippogriff informs me as I start to scramble to my feet. What do I do? What do I do? Hermione! I jump over toward my friend's bed and throw the bed curtains open. The scream dies in my throat as I spot the hippogriff that is sleeping in Hermione's bed instead of her.

I have to get out of here! I have to reach the door! Quickly. But there are about ten hippogriffs blocking my way. How am I supposed to get past them? Maybe I could try jumping. Who knows. It might work. I get myself ready for the jump of my life and soaaaaaar over the hippogriffs like a paper plane. It's a fun experience. Almost like a dream…

I land in front of the door that leads out of the dorms when suddenly the door starts to open.

Who could it be? As I wait for it to open completely I notice that the door handle looks funny. Kind of like an owl…

"Am I dreaming?" I whisper to myself. Then I am faced with the curious gaze of my mother.

"Mum!" I exclaim happily. I'm always happy to see her. But even more so, when there is a horde of hippogriffs occupying my dorm room.

"Have you been counting hippogriffs?" Mum asks, as she enters the room. I pout. I was just going to leave.

"How do you know?" I ask in return.

"We've all been there," she answers, closing the door behind her.

"Mum," I whine, "I was just about to-"

"Go and snoop around in other people's dreams?" Mum completes my sentence.

"Um..."

She chuckles in amusement. "Let's sit down for a moment," she suggests. Before I can argue that there is no room because the dorm is bursting with hippogriffs, she makes them vanish with a wave of her hand. Amazing.

We sit down on the bed that is closest to us. She's not going to try and talk me out of my plan, is she? After all it was _her_ idea.

"Haley, love," mum starts to say and takes one of my hands gently, "I want you to remember that whatever it is you're going to find out, it's still a dream in the end. And dreams don't always show us the truth. Sometimes they show us our wishes or desires or even our fears. And no matter what you're going to see or whose dream you're visiting, you need to consider carefully what you're going to do with the information you acquired. You need to remember that dreams are a very private thing that sometimes represent us in our most vulnerable moments."

"So basically you're telling me not to abuse my power," I state in a rather unimpressed way.

Mum watches me for a moment, then nods.

"Yes. Basically that," she says, "But even though I'm telling you all that it doesn't mean I don't trust you."

I squint my eyes at her. Really? It didn't sound like she trusts me at all.

"Would I have told you about this in the first place if I didn't trust you to be responsible enough?"

Mum asks as she pinches my nose. I stand up to get out of her reach.

"And Haley?"

" _Yes_ ," I say slowly. I'm starting to get impatient.

"If you're confused about what you might find out you can always come and talk to me about it. My door is always open." Her smile is so warm, that I get the urge to throw myself into her arms and let her brush my hair and tell me stories. But I don't have the time for that. So I just nod.

"Haley?" She calls again, just as I'm opening the door.

"What now?"

Mum raises an eyebrow at me and eyes me sceptically. "Are you really going to go like that?"

I look down at myself. Shit. I'm still wearing my night gown! I'll be damned if I turn up inside Malfoy's dream dressed in nothing but a thin night gown!

"While you're at it, you might as well disguise yourself properly. Why don't you try to make yourself look like another person?"

That's a brilliant idea. But whose face should I pick?

"Like who?" I ask.

"How about… Neville?" Mum suggests with a sly smirk.

"No!" I almost yell. I'd probably be able to pull it off, since I know his face so well. But… I'd rather not use his appearance for this.

"Isn't there anyone you've always wanted to look like?" Mum asks curiously. And then I know.

I've always wanted to look like _her_ once. I close my eyes and concentrate hard on the picture in my mind.

"Who is that?" Mum asks in confusion as she looks at my new appearance.

I look down at my long and sleek black hair. It's like silk.

"Cho Chang," I answer, "She's the most beautiful girl at Hogwarts. Everyone wants to look like her."

"Really?" Mum asks. I nod. She's even more beautiful than me. That's at least what Dean Thomas said during a game of Truth or Dare last year.

"Well, she's definitely pretty," mum muses, "And she looks nothing like you."

"That's the whole point of it," I agree with her.

"She's really cute now that I think about it."

" _Mum_ , _I'm_ your daughter. You're supposed to say that to _me_!"

Mum doesn't say anything for a moment. Then she mutters, "You have enough people telling you that. If you're not careful your ego might grow as big as your dad's."

" _But mum_ ," I argue as she opens the door and walks out into the dream corridor.

"Weren't you planning on doing some stalking?" Mum asks. I follow her through the door just as she is about to enter her own dream door.

"Besides that, beauty comes from the inside," mum winks at me and is gone a second later.

The corridor feels lonely without her cheerfulness. But it doesn't matter much since I'm not planning on staying here for very long.

I look back toward my door with the painting and the thorns. How did mum get in there anyway? I don't even know my own defence mechanism! If I even have one. I'll have to come up with a riddle or something. Just in case. But for now there is something else to do.

I turn left and walk down the corridor past my brother's door and a handful others. Then I finally reach it. Draco Malfoy's dream door.

Myron Wagtail, the lead singer of the Weird Sisters, looks at me suspiciously. Well, the poster version of him anyway.

"Who are you and what are you doing in front my master's dream door?" He inquires importantly.

"What's your favourite song?" I ask the singer innocently. I've thought about this a lot. If I'm right the singer is going to be stupid enough to tell me the right "tune" himself.

"Well, I don't want to boast or anything buuuut", Myron singsongs, "I do enjoy the majority of our music. And some of our new tunes are really catchy, you know. People love them. They go absolutely crazy about the hippo-" He stops himself and turns accusing eyes at me.

"This is a trick! You're trying to trick me into telling you about the right tune that opens my master's door! But I'm not that stupid. I'm not!"

I barely stifle a laugh. To be honest, I actually like the Weird Sisters but this guy is seriously bonkers! He somewhat reminds me of that portrait of Sir Cadogan.

I reach for the acoustic guitar that's leaning against the door and strum over each string once.

It sounds beautiful. But maybe that's just my imagination. This dreaming thing is so confusing.

It's stupid to try this because this is the most obvious song of the Weird Sister's he could have chosen. But I've never thought Malfoy was one of the cleverest wizards.

I position the fingers of my left hand on the strings and play the notes of the chorus. It's the part where it goes _"Can you dance like a hippogr_ _i_ _ff? Ma ma ma. Ma ma ma. Ma ma ma."_ And so on. Once I'm done with the chorus I look up at the poster expectantly.

Myron seems to be enjoying my performance. But then he shakes his head sadly.

"Nice try," he says, "you're welcome to try again. I do enjoy your _tune._ "

Hm. Should I try a different song? Or maybe the guitar solo from the _Hippogr_ _i_ _ff_ song?

I decide to try the solo. But it's hard with an acoustic guitar that's not magically enhanced.

In my mind I go through the solo part and place my fingers on the strings. It's a really tricky solo but I've been practising it nearly a hundred times with Sirius. Just for fun. And also because it's a cool solo. In the middle of the solo my fingers land on the wrong string and it's ruined. The singer looks at me like I've just insulted him.

"What was _that_?" He asks in bewilderment.

I flex my fingers and get ready to play the solo one more time. It's a tiny bit too slow but beside that it's flawless.

"That wasn't half as impressive as I would have performed it buuuuut," Myron singsongs, "I do like your tune, sooo… I guess you can enter."

"Really?" I have to ask. I don't feel like having my hand electrified or anything once I touch the door knob.

"Yes," he replies and nods at me approvingly.

Cool. I put the guitar back and reach for the handle. There's no turning back now.

With baited breath I pull open the right door. Then I walk in.

…

I don't know what I expected but I certainly thought it would be more spectacular than that.

I'm in the dungeons at Hogwarts. In front of me I can see a crowd of students who are standing around something. As I get closer I notice that they are standing around _someone._ And that someone is myself. And I am sitting on top of Malfoy who is lying on the ground. Malfoy tries to struggle free. Just like he did this afternoon. At some point he rolls me over and- No, wait. Not _me_. I am merely standing here, watching the whole scene. Looking like Cho Chang. This is so confusing. So... he rolls my doppelgänger over until he's the one on top. He looks at her angrily and I know what's going to happen next. My doppelgänger will close her eyes and turn her face away in fear.

I don't want to see that. But I want to know if everything happens exactly in the same way it did this afternoon.

"I wasn't going to punch you, idiot," Malfoy says like before. I look around the students in search of Neville. Any second now he will arrive. He will come to save the girl on the ground.

But I can't make him out in the crowd. He's not coming. Why isn't he coming? What is going to happen to me – I mean my doppelgänger – if Neville doesn't save her?

Malfoy raises his right hand and I fear the worst. Is he going to hit the girl after all? I have to stop him!

"Your face is way too pretty for that," he says. It's enough to halt me in my tracks.

Is he being serious? Or is he mocking me – my doppelgänger – like always?

Malfoy strokes a hand over the girl's face slowly. It looks almost like a caress. But that's not possible. On top of everything the git also starts to smile at the girl!

I want to push him off her. He has no right to smile at her in such a creepy way.

But I don't get to do that. Because the world shifts around us and I find myself in a meadow full of poppies, daisies and buttercups. I spot a tall tree to my right. The shape of its bark reminds me of a door. It must be the door that leads to the dream corridor.

There's only three people in the meadow. Me, Malfoy and my doppelgänger.

Malfoy who still has that creepy smile on his face. Malfoy who is still leaning over my doppelgänger, pushing some strands out of her face with his dirty hands. I'm going insane!

Then something even weirder happens.

My doppelgänger smiles back. She actually smiles back! Why is she smiling at the git? And it's not even an evil smile. It looks friendly, happy even!

And just when I thought it couldn't get even worse Malfoy does something that makes me doubt my state of sanity.

He leans even closer to my doppelgänger and kisses her nose. The girl that looks like me giggles and Malfoy kisses her again. On the cheek, on the nose, on her forehead. He covers her whole face with kisses and the foolish girl doesn't stop giggling!

I get nauseous from watching this… this whatever _this_ is! I don't know if it's possible to actually be sick in a dream but maybe I'm about to find out soon.

They're both laughing like loons now and a second later Malfoy leans in to kiss her properly. On the mouth! And what does the foolish girl do? She kisses him back!

My legs are about to give out when Malfoy gives me the death blow.

He breaks the kiss and lies down next to her. Then he buries his face in my doppelgänger's shoulder and wraps his arms around her middle. And when she hugs him back he has this _look_ in his eyes. He looks ridiculously _happy_. It's almost like the girl hung the moon or something.

I can't breathe. This is too much. I can't handle this. I can't.

"STOP!" I shout because I can't watch any more of this. My scream is accompanied by loud thunder. Did I cause that? Malfoy and my own face look at me in surprise. Looks like they've finally noticed me.

"Haley?" Malfoy asks, as he looks confusedly back and forth between me and my doppelgänger. That's when I notice my hair is back to its original colour. Damn. I look like myself again.

I don't waste another second and run straight toward the tree that looks like a door.

I throw the door open and leave this nightmare without a glance back.

Only seconds later I stop in front of my brother's door. It looks terribly inviting. Not even a week has passed since I last saw him but I think Simon's sunny company is exactly what I need right now.

I hesitantly reach for the door (no electric shocks!) and pull it open. Well that was easy. Simon is too trusting for his own good. But for now I'm glad I can get in so easily.

I walk through the door and find myself inside a café. My brother sits at one of the tables and eats scones. With lots of butter. I run over to him and attack him with a bone-crushing hug.

"Simon," I say. My voice sounds slightly wobbly.

"Hey sis," he mumbles, "Is there a reason you're trying to crush me?"

"I simply missed my favourite brother," I say with a chuckle and sit down in a chair next to him, without letting him go. Normally I'd hit him for calling me "sis" but seeing him is so comforting that I let it go this one time.

"But I'm your _only_ brother," he argues.

"Shut up." I hit him. Lightly of course.

"I thought you missed me?" He complains, "Could you maybe let go? I can't eat like that."

I can't help the laughter that bubbles out of me. This is why I came here. My adorable little brother who even in his dreams cares about nothing else but food. You simply have to love him. I kiss the top of his head and loosen my death grip on him. He frees his arm and promptly continues to eat.

"You want some?" Simon offers, gesturing toward the huge plate of scones in front of him.

"I'm good," I say with a shake of my head. I'm not sure the nausea from earlier isn't going to make a return. Besides, I'm contend just resting my head on my brother's shoulder and watching him eat happily. It's almost enough to make me forget the scene I witnessed only minutes before.

…

* * *

A/N: Hello! I haven't posted in ages but here is an update! Finally. What did you think of the chapter? I was going to keep this fairly light and happy but I'm afraid there will be some angst soon... It won't be too heavy though :D  
Who spotted the Hamilton reference? I always sing that part when I read it xD Thank you for reading and let me know what you think :)

The song I mentioned is "Do the Hippogriff" from the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire OST. But I'm sure you knew that already :) The solo part comes after the chorus is sung for the second time and Haley plays a combination of the guitar solo and the bagpipes solo. You should definitely give the song a listen even if you know it. It's so crazy :D And I'm planning to use it for a "really fun" dream. So look forward to that!  
Oh and a "magically enhanced" guitar is basically an electric guitar. Just for wizards.

Till next time, Feather :)


	5. Dance Like A Hippogryff

A/N: In the later part of the chapter I recommend you listen to the song " _Do the Hippogriff"_ from the soundtrack of the fourth Harry Potter movie. You'll know when to listen. It'll be much more fun that way ;)

* * *

 **5 – Dance Like A Hippogriff**

" _Dreams, if they're any good, are always a little bit crazy. "  
― Ray Charles_

 _..._

Someone had glued Haley's eyelids together. There was no other explanation for the way she felt.

If she wasn't careful she would end up bathing her face in her cornflakes. She hadn't been this tired in a long time. She had gone to bed so early last night though. Maybe it had something to do with the dream corridor? She would have to ask her mum about that.

"Haley! _Haley!_ " Called a voice from not too far away. Then she felt someone pinch her arm.

"Ow," Haley said absently, looking around for the person who had pinched her.

"Haley, we're going to be late!" Hermione almost shouted, pulling at her arm impatiently.

Right. She had to get up. She hadn't touched a bite of her breakfast anyway. What lesson was it they had to attend? Charms?

Haley picked up her school bag and followed her friend out of the Great Hall. She knew she wasn't sleeping anymore but she didn't feel completely awake either. Maybe it had been stupid not to eat anything during breakfast. She felt so weak. Just for a moment she would close her eyes and rest. This was nice. The wall behind her was pleasantly cool, so she leaned back against it for a bit. Even if she wanted, she couldn't open her eyes again. They felt so heavy. So–

Somebody touched her hair that was a huge unruly pile on top of her head. (She hadn't had much time to properly take care of her appearance this morning.) Was she dreaming again?

"I didn't know you let your owl sleep in your hair, Potter," said a voice close to her mockingly.

Haley's eyes opened at once. Malfoy. Of course it was that git! Grinning at her like it was perfectly normal for him to creep up on her and touch her like this.

Pictures started to flash before Haley's eyes. Malfoy who was leaning over her, grinning at her smugly. Malfoy who was stroking her face. Malfoy who was kissing her-

" _Stop!_ " She shouted irritatedly, "Don't touch me! Get away from me!"

She pushed the boy away from her roughly, barely noticing the perplexed expression on his face. She turned around, ready to run away. Where were Ron and Hermione anyway?

"What do you – I didn't – Damn it, Potter! It's not like I felt you up or anything!" He shouted back equally upset.

Wouldn't it have been nice if she could insult him really badly? Or hex him until he'd finally leave her alone? She sighed.

"Just leave me alone," she muttered and ran down the hall away from him.

This was it. She couldn't do this any more. This was just because of the stupid dreaming thing! She shouldn't have started in the first place. What she had seen in Malfoy's dream… what did that even mean? Malfoy… did he… have a crush on her? No, that was impossible!

There had to be a different explanation! Hadn't her mum told her that dreams didn't necessarily show the truth? But what had she seen then? Had it been no more than a strangely distorted coincidence? She wouldn't be able to find out unless she went back. Unless she visited his dreams again. But what if what she saw the next time was even more disturbing? No, she couldn't do it. She would stop this whole mess while she still could.

Without meaning to, Haley had walked back toward Gryffindor Tower. She had missed most of the Charms lesson anyway. So maybe she could take a little nap before History of Magic.

" _Mimbulus Mimbletonia_ ," she told the Fat Lady and stepped through the portrait hole into the common room. As she sunk into one of the armchairs and closed her eyes she thought to herself that she wasn't going to set a foot into the dream corridor this time.

…

The next thing Haley heard was the clattering sound of several heavy things hitting the ground.

"Ron, you idiot! Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

"That wasn't me! And don't call me _idiot_!"

It sounded just like Hermione and Ron were arguing about something again.

"Sorry, I didn't see those books on the table!" And that sounded like Neville.

She opened her eyes slightly to see what was going on around her. Hermione and Ron were standing next to the portrait hole while Neville was picking up some books close to her armchair.

"It's fine Neville," Hermione murmured, "I only hope you didn't wake her up."

Wake her up? Were they talking about Haley?

"I think it's too late for that," Neville said, as he placed the books on top of the table and grinned down at Haley apologetically. His smile was so warm. So gentle. So beautif–

"You're awake?" Hermione asked, appearing in front of her in no less than a second. Haley nodded.

"Are you feeling better? You seemed really out of it during breakfast," she noted worriedly.

Haley nodded again. Wasn't she mad at all that Haley had missed Charms?

"You realize that you missed Charms _and_ History of Magic?" Her friend questioned with one raised eyebrow. What? History of Magic, too?

"Of course we came back to look for you after Charms but you seemed so tired this morning that I thought it was best to let you sleep some more."

"Um..." Haley didn't really know what to say. But it was okay because Hermione had enough to say for the both of them.

"I'm going to let you borrow my notes this once but don't just vanish the next time. We were really worried when you didn't show up for Charms."

Haley nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry about that. And thank you," she said, stifling a yawn. She was glad Hermione believed she had been behaving so strangely just because of her tiredness and nothing else. She didn't know whether she could tell her about what she had seen in Malfoy's dream even if she wanted to.

"So… lunch?" Ron piped up. He was still waiting beside the portrait hole. Lunch sounded great. She hadn't had anything for breakfast after all.

"I'm starving," Haley said as she got up and walked over toward the portrait hole. Hopefully she wouldn't run into Malfoy on the way to the Great Hall again.

…

All thoughts related to the Slytherin vanished as soon as Haley sat down at the Gryffindor table.

A familiar beautiful brown owl was sailing over toward her, landing next to her still empty plate.

"Beryll!" She exclaimed happily. It was her family's owl. Beryll held out his leg that had a letter tied to it and hooted softly. She gently stroked the owl's feathers before untying the letter.

"Thank you," she said, filling some water into a bowl and placing it in front of the owl.

One glance at the sloppy writing told her it was from her dad. It had not even been a week and he already missed her. With a smile Haley broke the seal and opened the letter.

 _My dearest daughter,_

 _You need to tell me who exactly is tormenting you. I've decided there really is no other option but to punish them. Sirius and I know lots of nasty little hexes that would be just perfect. That's why we've been spending the last few nights creating this useful prank book for you._

 _If you would just tell me that prat's name I could send them a nice little present myself. Because no one is allowed to lay their filthy hands on my daughter!  
But I wouldn't want to spoil the fun for you. I know as a true daughter of Gryffindor you must be itching to serve your revenge with your own hands. Hence I sent you the prank book._

 _I'm sure you will teach that fool not to mess with a Potter! Don't forget to tell me all about your revenge and which pranks you found useful._

 _You can always write in case there's something you don't understand or if you need my help. (Regarding the prank book or other things.) I know it can be scary to fight against your fears but remember this: Bravery will get you anywhere. That's the true Gryffindor spirit._

 _But I don't have to tell you that. I have to stop here because your mum wanted to show me her latest painting or something. And also because I'll miss you more if I keep writing. Why did you have to go and grow up so fast anyway? It would be nice if you didn't have to go back for your sixth year. Not even your brother will be here to console me. Well, your mum is calling. I hope to hear from you soon. Make sure not to do anything that I wouldn't do._

 _Love, Dad_

 _PS: I'm sending you the prank book with the next owl._

 _PPS: Your mum doesn't know about the prank book so do me a favour and don't mention it in your letters._

Not a second later another owl arrived, carrying a book-sized package in its claws. The unfamiliar owl dropped the package into Haley's lap, took a sip of water from Beryll's bowl and flew away again. A post owl probably.

"Who's that from?" Hermione asked from the right.

"Dad," Haley mumbled, as she opened the loosely wrapped package. The first thing she saw was a bundle that was made with a tied up handkerchief. In the corner she saw the initials: _J.P_.

A heavenly smell wafted up from the bundle. Were those-?

Haley made a noise that sounded like a mix between delight and disbelief.

"Pumpkin cinnamon rolls!" She exclaimed, inhaling the rich cinnamon aroma. There was a note that had been beneath the bundle.

" _I stole them from mum's secret stash. I know how much you love them._

 _Cheer up!_

– _Dad_ "

A warm feeling crept up in Haley's chest. This was too sweet. Her dad was really the best.

"The home made one's? From your mum?" Ron asked excitedly from across her. Haley didn't like the look in his eyes. Those were _her_ cinnamon rolls.

" _Yeees_ ," she said slowly, stretching the _e_.

"Wow! Those are amazing!" He exclaimed, his eyes shining happily. Haley softened at that. Ron's honest excitement was kind of sweet. And didn't sweets always taste even better if you could share them with friends?

"Let's try them later in the common room, yeah?" She suggested, already looking forward to it.

"Great!" Ron said and continued to eat. It was Hermione who reminded them that there was something else inside the package.

"What's that?" She asked, gesturing toward the thin, black book in Haley's lap. There wasn't any writing on the cover at all.

"Just a note book, I think," Haley muttered and tried to slip it into her school bag quickly. It never reached her school bag. Instead it slipped from her hands and landed on the ground, opened on the first page.

" _Prank book of_ _t_ _he_ _peskiest_ _pranks by Prongs and Padfoot_? This doesn't look like a simple note book," Hermione mused as she picked the book up from the ground and started to leaf through the pages.

" _Levicorpus_? What's..." Hermione's eyes grew bigger as she turned over one page after another.

"Haley, you're not planning to use this, are you?" She questioned in a dangerous undertone.

Haley rolled her eyes. "I don't even know what's in there. You didn't give me a chance to look, remember?"

Hermione regarded her for a couple of seconds. Then she sighed and handed her the book.

"You really shouldn't use this, though. Some of those spells look dangerous. I can't believe your dad sent you something like that!" She continued to complain about pranks and the importance of rules but Haley didn't listen anymore.

The words she had just read were swirling around in her head aimlessly. In the end it always came down to _bravery_ and _true_ _Gryffindor_ _spirit_ with her dad. Sometimes she wondered what he would have done if the Sorting Hat hadn't put her in Gryffindor. _Nothing, stupid. He would still love you and be proud of you,_ said a voice in her mind. She knew that, of course. But she also knew that her dad would have been disappointed. If only a little. He would also be disappointed if he knew that she was letting a pathetic Slytherin boy mess with her. And that she wasn't brave enough to fight back.

Haley didn't want to disappoint him. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity for her to prove that she was a true Gryffindor? That she could be brave as well? Growing up she had always relied on other people to protect her. Her mum, her dad, her godfather Sirius. Even Remus on occasion. Maybe it was time she started to fight her own battles.

"Didn't you say you were hungry?" Neville asked. He was sitting opposite her, next to Ron.

"Y-yeah," she answered absent-mindedly. Neville was such a kind person. And the way he always looked out for everyone warmed her heart.

"Here, have some of that pumpkin soup. it's delicious," he said, smiling at her and placing a bowl of steaming, hot soup in front of her.

"Thank you," she answered with a smile of her own.

Beryll, the owl, hooted in irritation. Didn't he like pumpkin soup? The owl hopped onto Haley's shoulder and nipped at her ear gently. Then it flew away.

"Bye Beryll," Haley whispered. Life would be so much easier if she were an owl.

…

 _I should take it off_ , Haley thought, playing around with the gobstone bracelet that was wrapped around her wrist. She already felt the sleep that was waiting to take her but she still hadn't decided whether she should take the bracelet off or not. She took it off. And placed it on her bedside table for good measure. It was better that way. She turned to her left side. Why wasn't she falling asleep already?

She turned to the other side again. She was still awake.

"Fine," Haley whispered with a sigh and snatched the gobstone from her bedside table, wrapping it around her wrist. It didn't mean she had to go through his dream door. Not a second later she had fallen asleep.

 **...ooo...**

I walk almost head-first into the person that has apparently been waiting in front of my dream door.

To my immense relief it's only mum.

"You surprised me," I say accusingly, "Were you waiting for me?"

"You're here again," she tsks, "This is the fourth night in a row, isn't it?"

"Maybe. I didn't count," I answer in a non-committal way.

Mum sighs and shakes her head disapprovingly. "You shouldn't come here too often. Your body can't rest properly in this state of sleeping."

"What?" I blink at her, realisation sinking in slowly, "That's why I've been feeling so tired lately, isn't it?"

"You already noticed it yourself?" Mum asks worriedly, "Haley, sleep is important! You can't come to the dream corridor every night!"

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter. If that makes her happy. Mum watches me for a moment. She doesn't believe me.

"I can tell you're not taking this seriously," she remarks. I sigh.

" _Mum_. I _am_ taking this seriously. You worry too much."

For a second it seems she is going to continue arguing but then she sighs and something in her expression softens.

"Fine. You're old enough to make your own decisions. At least you're not as irresponsible as your dad was at your age." Mum touches my cheek and smiles at me lovingly. There is so much love shining through her eyes. It's so easy for her to express her love. I always wonder where she takes it all from. I used to imagine her scooping her love out of a huge fountain and pouring it all over whoever she thought was in need of it. I'm never sure whether to be envious or whether to be glad that I am so different from her in that respect. Suddenly I want to reassure her. She does worry too much.

"I'll stop coming here every night," I promise, "You really don't need to worry."

She nods, still smiling fondly. I'm filled with the sudden urge to tell her about the thing I saw in Malfoy's dream… Maybe she could help me figure out what to do? At the same time I don't really want to talk about the dream to begin with.

"I love you, mum," I tell her instead, pouring my own scoopful of love over her. Mum's eyes crinkle around the edges and she pinches my cheek affectionately.

"You're cute, my duckling," she positively chirps and makes to turn away. The words of protest die in my throat as I remember what I forgot to tell her.

"I almost forgot – Dad.. tell him not to miss me too much."

There's a knowing look on mum's face. "He sent you a package, didn't he? That's why there were so many cinnamon rolls missing." She chuckles. "I'll tell him you liked it."

With that she spins around and marches back to her own dream door. She barely steps through the door when my legs start to walk in the opposite direction almost on their own accord. Before I even have the chance to properly make up my mind on whether I should spy on Malfoy again or not, I have already arrived in front of his dream door.

"And you are?" The familiar voice of Myron Wagtail questions in a bored tone. I quickly envision the hood I covered my face with the first time I was here.

"No one," I mutter, picking up the guitar swiftly. Getting the solo right this time around is much easier than the last time. Still, my fingers slip once or twice on the strings. Does Myron mind? I look at the poster but the singer does not seem impressed at all. Damn. I give it another try and this time my fingers don't slip… notably.

"Sweet tune," says Myron and nods approvingly, "I didn't get your name…?" He adds in a questioning tone.

"I'm no one," I repeat my answer from earlier. I'm not about to tell him my real name!

Myron nods again, seemingly thinking about it. "Sounds like a good title for a song, don't you think?" He wonders and promptly starts improvising melodies with the phrase _I'm no one_.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I set down the guitar and reach for the door handle. What kind of dream will I stumble into this time?

As I step through the door I find myself in a familiar room. It's a class room. The Transfigurations class room perhaps. Professor McGonnagall who's standing right in the middle confirms my assumption. The room is full of students but I can't spot Malfoy right away.

Is it suspicious that I'm wandering around the Transfigurations class room with a massive black hood covering my face? Probably. But on the other hand nobody seems to notice me anyway. They are all busy trying to turn a pine cone into a hairbrush. It's not the most complicated of spells. But for some reason McGonnagall is walking up and down the rows, checking how everyone is doing and correcting them if necessary.

I scan the room another time until my eyes finally land on white blond hair and a pale face. There he is. All the way in the back. It almost seems as though he is hiding behind all the other students. But why would he be doing that? As McGonnagall draws closer to his row, Malfoy seems to get more nervous, anxious even. That's curious. An idea forms in my head. Malfoy seems to be nervous because of McGonnagall… I don't want to witness that. In fact, I want to be the cause for his distress.

I concentrate on the task of making myself look like the Transfigurations professor. It helps that she is standing right in front of me. A glance toward my clothes tells me that I successfully copied her robes. I have always wanted to wear that fancy hat of hers once. Hopefully I got the face right as well. With a wave of my hand I make the real McGonnagall (Well, she is real in the dream) vanish and quickly go to stand where she stood only a second ago. I take another step to the left until I'm right in front of Malfoy's desk. From up close he looks even more nervous than before. A grin steals onto my face.

"Mr Malfoy," I say, but I have to stop because my voice still sounds like my own. I clear my throat and try to remember what McGonnagall sounds like. Once I can hear it in my mind clearly I try again. "Mr Malfoy," That's better, "Why don't you show us your spell work." My eyebrows are raised in an expectant way and I enjoy looking down at the git far too much.

Malfoy opens his mouth but no sound comes out of it.

"I – I –" he stammers, his eyes wide open, "I – I – I can't." Wait. What? I tilt my head to the side in curiosity.

"What do you mean, Mr Malfoy?"

Malfoy looks around frantically. It almost appears as if he was searching for something. Then I notice it. His wand is no where to be seen.

I scrunch my eyes together. "Where is your wand?" I inquire sharply.

If possible the boy's eyes widen even more. "I – It's – It's – Longbottom stole it," he bursts out and points one accusing finger toward something to his left. And interestingly enough, there in the right hand corner of the class room sits Neville. But as far as I can see there is only one wand in his possession.

"Mr Longbottom… _stole_ your wand, you say?" I ask in a rather skeptical tone.

"Yes," the boy answers with a glare aimed at Neville.

"Well, that's a serious accusation," I say, leaning down slightly so that I can look into Malfoy's eyes more directly, "Can you prove it?"

Malfoy raises an eyebrow at me. "Search him," he suggests, with a nod into Neville's direction. It's astounding how quickly he found his confidence again. But I'm not done with him. Not by far. I smile back at him, which seems to reassure him somewhat.

Then, using the sweetest tone of voice I can imagine McGonnagall speaking in, I say, "I don't think I will do that."

I can literally see Malfoy's facial expression freezing and his confidence vanishing into thin air. "What?" He gasps disbelievingly.

Raising up to my (or rather McGonnagall's) full impressive height, I tell him, "Obviously you cannot prove that your wand has been stolen and from my experience it wouldn't be the first time that you have been falsely accusing other students-"

"Professor! That's not-" The boy protests but I continue without letting him finish.

"Which is why," I pause, it's really hard to stay serious and not full out laugh at him, "Why I've come up with a suitable task to make up for your behaviour which is far from commendable."

"B-but Professor," Malfoy argues in frustration, looking around the class room in obvious search of support. But nobody rises to help him. In fact, as my eyes scan the room I see more and more students chuckling and grinning, clearly enjoying Malfoy's current predicament. Who would have thought?

"We can just forget about all of this," I tell him, gesturing vaguely toward the class room, "But first you have to fulfil this small task."

"What kind of task," he asks petulantly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Now I grin at him openly. I can't help it. The task I've come up with is too good.

"You're going to sing a song in front of the whole class," I tell him, spreading my arms in a wide gesture.

"What? I will do no such thing-"

"Don't worry, I'm sure you know the song. It's that song by the _Weird Sisters_. About hippogriffs or something."

"No! I refuse! You can't make me!"

I squint my eyes at him and ask in a low tone, "Perhaps… You would like me to tell your father about this? That you can't even do a simple Transfigurations spell? That you're disrupting my class by lying and accusing students of things they didn't do?"

With each word I say his face gets paler. Until finally he clenches his teeth and grits out, "Fine. I'll do it."

"I thought so," I say with a satisfied little chuckle. "Well then." I nod toward the front of the class room where some kind of stage has appeared.

Malfoy swallows nervously, before getting up and making his way toward the other end of the room. While he passes through the rows of students the snickering and pointing increases more and more until the noise reminds me of the buzzing of a busy beehive. It's obvious that Malfoy is trying to keep up a somewhat confident appearance but the laughter of the other students visibly gets to him. The sight makes me feel a twinge of sympathy. This is not right.

But after a second I quickly shake off the feeling. This is Malfoy. Who has been tormenting and harassing me and other students for years. If anyone deserves a taste of humiliation than it's certainly him. Besides, this is only a dream, right? He won't even remember most of it, tomorrow.

With these thoughts in mind I make my way toward the front of the room as well and lean back against the teacher's desk. That's practically a front row seat.

Malfoy still looks nervous and uncertain. It doesn't seem as if he is going to start any time soon.

With a sigh I flick my fingers and the makeshift stage behind him fills with instruments and some of the members of the _Weird Sisters_. Good thing, I saw them playing live during the Yule Ball last year. Myron is missing. But that's not really a problem, seeing as Malfoy is supposed to sing.

As the song starts Malfoy hesitantly takes hold of the microphone in front of him. The singing part begins but there's no singing. For a second I wonder if there's something wrong with the microphone. But one glance at Malfoy confirms that the git never even started to sing. I fix him with a stern look until he rolls his eyes and sighs in defeat. With a wave of my hand I gesture for the band to play the song again from the start.

I almost expect the Slytherin to stay silent this time as well. But then right when the singing part starts I hear… something. It's not singing. More like someone hesitantly _speaking_ the lyrics. It's barely more than a low whisper but it's definitely there.

" _Move your body like a hairy troll_  
 _Learning to rock and roll  
Spin around like a crazy elf_  
 _Dancin' by himself_ "

After that first part Malfoy closes his eyes and starts to really sing. I admit, I didn't think he would actually do it.

" _Boogie down like a unicorn_  
 _No stoppin' till the break of dawn"_

It almost seems as though he's starting to enjoy himself. That's not really what I intended…

 _"Put your hands up in the air_  
 _Like an ogre, who just don't care_ "

The music builds up in preparation for the chorus. There is a little grin on Malfoy's face as he gets ready for the next part. The chorus starts and as Malfoy finally opens his eyes I notice that we're not in the class room anymore. The tiny makeshift stage has turned into a gigantic space with stage lights and huge amplifiers. In front of the stage a crowd of screaming and dancing teenagers has appeared. While I find myself at the edge of the stage, noticing all of these changes Malfoy continues singing in the background.

 _"Can you dance like a hippogriff?_  
 _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma_  
 _Flyin' off from a cliff  
_ _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma"_

He's not only singing though. A guitar has appeared in his hands and he's strumming along, moving his body to the music. Merlin, am I dreaming? Well, I guess I am but still... is that really Draco Malfoy dancing and singing to "Do the Hippogriff"? I can't stop myself from chuckling. How I wish I could witness this in reality. Malfoy glances over at me, then. Has he noticed my chuckling? A second later another guitar appears – this time in my hands – and Malfoy continues to sing.

 _"Swooping down to the ground_  
 _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma_  
 _Wheel around and around and around and around  
_ _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma"_

I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Although I do remember the chords used in the song, it's hard to suddenly play along without having a proper starting point. On top of that I'm still disguised as Professor McGonnagall which is… slightly bizarre to say the least. But this is a dream, isn't it? Perhaps I could just play any chords and make them sound the way I want them to just by imagining it? It's worth a try.

 _"Groove around like a scary ghost_  
 _Spooking himself the most_  
 _Shake your booty like a boggart in pain_  
 _Again and again and again"_

Malfoy continues singing and his voice doesn't sound too shabby. I can admit that. And if there's one thing I respect it's an artist – be it singer, dancer, writer, painter – being completely absorbed in their art. And surprisingly that's exactly what seems to be happening with Malfoy. He's up there on the stage singing, dancing and simply having fun without holding back. Without caring who witnesses it. Who is this boy? I don't think I've seen him before. In fact, it's only now that I notice that he does look different. His school robes are kind of rumpled and his tie is loose. His hair seems as though he just rolled out of bed. And his eyes… they are lined with black. He looks like some kind of vampire. A wannabe vampire.

 _"Get it on like an angry spectre_  
 _Who's definitely out to get ya'_  
 _Stamp your feet like a leprechaun_  
 _Gettin' it on, gettin' it on"_

As the chorus starts up again he turns to me and winks. Then he continues to sing but this time he does this thing that musicians sometimes do where they kind of just enjoy making music together. He continues to play, never averting his eyes from me. And in that moment it seems like he's just _feeling_ the music. Completely losing himself in it.

 _"Can you dance like a hippogriff?_  
 _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma_  
 _Flyin' off from a cliff  
_ _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma_

 _Swooping down to the ground_  
 _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma_  
 _Wheel around and around and around and around  
_ _Ma_ _ma ma, ma ma ma, ma ma ma"_

During that last part he spontaneously twirls. Actually _twirls_ and I burst out laughing because this is the most hilarious thing I have ever seen. He notices, of course. But instead of the angry glare that I expected, he starts laughing as well. He puts the microphone down and twirls again, sending a playful grin my way. Before any sort of warning the boy proceeds to show the most embarrassing and funny dance moves I have ever seen. The laughter tumbles out of me without me being able stop it. Is he doing this on purpose?

I barely register the song continuing on without either of us as the boy dances his way over to me. He stops in front of me and does another one of his ridiculous moves, making me chuckle more. My head bounces to the beat and my body has started to move along with the music almost against my own will.

He sends me a look I can't quite identify. It's certainly kind of amused but also something else. Well, I don't care. I'm still disguised and none of this is real anyway. So, who is going to judge me for a little bit of dancing? The chorus has started up again, reminding me how much I love this song. I dance, feeling carefree and relaxed. I haven't had so much fun in ages.

Then I notice something is different. The boy in front of me has stopped dancing, his movements having receded to mere swaying. And the look on his face… He is definitely still amused but the other feeling seems more prominent now. I still don't know what it reminds me of…

He takes another step towards me and places his hands on my waist. I gasp. What in Merlin's name is going on? And why is my guitar gone when I could really use it as a shield or even a weapon right now?

"Haley," he says almost joyfully, as he leans ever closer, "You're here."

For a split second I catch a glimpse of Malfoy's eyes up close. They seem unguarded and the expression in them completely honest. His eyes remind me of something…

But wait. What is happening? Malfoy wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer. In that moment it feels like my brain has temporarily shut down. Why is he hugging me? What did that look in his eyes mean? Why did he say my real name? Do I look like myself again? Why can't I even uphold a simple disguise? He tightens his hold around me and I just want him to let go. But for some reason my body feels like it's petrified. I can't move.

Suddenly a memory surfaces in front of my eyes. My brother Simon… playing around with fluffy kittens… Last summer our cat had dropped a bunch of tiny kittens. I still remember Simon playing around with them until he'd had scratches all over his arms… But that isn't the important part. The way Simon had looked at those kittens… It had been a look full of joy and… adoration.

And Malfoy… he had looked at me the way Simon looked at kittens. He had looked at me as if he _adored_ me. As if I was something _precious_.

Malfoy pulls away. Does he sense that I am on the verge of a mental breakdown? His eyes still hold that soft expression as they wander across my face. I open my mouth in an attempt to tell him to stop, to leave me alone but I can't find my voice. This is so frustrating. The little smile on his face irritates me. There is no reason to smile! I want to tell him that, too. I want to tell him to get his bloody hands off me and –

He leans in and kisses me. On the nose. And _that_ seems to work like a charm. How dare he? I regain control over my body and push him away. He stumbles a few steps backwards and looks at me, his eyes full of confusion and disbelief.

"What-?" He asks, not even able to finish his question.

"Don't," I hiss at him, holding my arms up in defence.

"Haley! Wait! What's wrong?" He questions, uncomprehendingly. He looks as if I betrayed him or something but I can't let that bother me now. I already regret coming here. Where is the stupid dream door? I look around frantically until I finally spot it at the back of the stage. I run toward the door without looking back.

…

Back in the dream corridor, I try not to think. At all. I don't even know why this is throwing me off so badly. It's not worse than what I have seen in the dream before that. But that's just the point. In the dream before I only watched from afar and this time… Malfoy was directing his attention directly at me.

But I really don't want to think about that now. Instead I try to focus my mind on the task of getting back to my own dream door. I'm halfway there when I realise that I'm not alone in the corridor. A figure is there. Standing right in the middle of the hall and blocking my way. It's a little girl, clad in a white dress, looking about 6 or 7. Her hair is as white as her dress and her big, owlish eyes are staring right at me. She watches me intently as I come closer and for a moment I wonder if I can get away with walking past her. The moment I pass her I hear the girl's voice for the first time.

"Where are you going?" Her voice is unusually low. Lower than the voice of a girl her age is supposed to sound. At the same time it sounds chirpy like a young bird. Suddenly I grow suspicious. Who is that girl? I turn to face her, squinting my eyes at her.

"Mum? Is that you?" I ask. This girl doesn't seem like my mother, but on the other hand you never know with her.  
The girl fixes me with a patronising glance. "Do I look like your mother? I thought you were smarter than that."

"Well, who are you then?" I ask, crossing my arms in front of my chest. I'm not about to let a child talk to me like that!

The girl snorts. "You haven't figured that out? How disappointing," she retorts, cocking her head to the side in a way that reminds me of a bird. She pouts, fiddling about with her white dress, which I now realise is completely made out of feathers.

The girl watches me curiously for a moment longer, then she holds out her hand and says in a warmer tone of voice, "Come with me. You look like you could use a distraction." When I don't take her hand right away, she grabs my arm and pulls me along with her.

"Hey, where are we going?" I protest. She doesn't answer. I don't know why I keep following her. Maybe it's the feeling of familiarity that she gives off. Or perhaps I'm just careless and stupid.

We stop in front of a… well it's not really a door. It's more like a hole in the wall that resembles the night sky. Kind of similar to the ceiling in the Great Hall but much smaller. Is that the girl's 'dream door'?

"I-I don't have a personal object-" I begin to argue. The girl chuckles in answer, grinning at me reassuringly. Her chuckles sound weirdly raspy.

"You do. Trust me. I made sure of that." What? When did that happen? The girl takes my hand and determinedly pulls me along with her. I feel like I'm about to do the most stupid thing I have ever done in my life. But somehow… I feel like I can trust her. I shut my eyes tightly and follow the girl into the hole. The first thing I notice is the wind that's blowing around us. I don't feel cold though.

"Open your eyes, child," the girl tells me. Why does _she_ get to call _me_ a child?

Nevertheless, I open my eyes and find myself inside my dorm. Unfortunately I'm not lying in my bed. To my immense horror, I'm standing on the window sill. And the window is open.

In front of us the castle and its grounds spread out against the night sky. Below us there is only darkness. I can't even see the ground. Somewhere between the dream corridor and here I lost my shoes. The girl next to me is barefooted as well. I look up at the girl again. Wait… why are there suddenly wings where her arms used to be? She grins at me and nods toward the night sky.

"Let's go," she whispers softly.

"Go? There is nowhere to go!" I protest.

The girl chuckles. "Don't be stupid," she says like she thinks jumping from towers is the most normal thing in the world.

Then she pushes me out of the window. Her scratchy laughter follows me as I plummet into the darkness below.

…

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm sorry it took so long to update this but to make up for that I made the chapter extra long! Let me know what you think!

Have fun and thank you for reading Feather!


	6. Envy Green

_A/N: There's a song you might like to listen to in the early part of the chapter. It's from the movie "The Neverending Story". You'll know when to listen. Here's the link: youtube watch?v=X2muPtWsKi4_

* * *

 **6 – Envy Green**

" _What would an ocean be without a monster lurking in the dark? It would be like sleep without dreams."  
― Werner Herzog_

 _..._

My eyes are shut tightly as I'm waiting for the inevitable impact. But surprisingly it never comes. I continue to fall, wondering if I'm ever going to hit the ground, when something soft as a feather touches my cheek. Finally opening my eyes, I glance to the left. There's an owl beside me. Snow white feathers spread out to the sides. Is the owl smiling at me? I shake my head to clear it. The owl looks familiar… startlingly so.  
"Spread out your wings, child. This is still a dream," the voice of the little girl advises. But she is nowhere in sight. Then it dawns on me. It's the owl that has talked to me! And then another realisation hits me. The owl looks just like…

" _Hedwig?_ " The sound of chirpy laughter fills my head. Is she speaking through her mind?

"Took you long enough."

"But – how is that – I mean you're an – how can you – I don't understand – what?" It's not my most shining moment. The owl – _Hedwig_ – flies a circle around me. That's when I realise that I'm not falling any longer. I'm floating now, caught somewhere between falling and flying.

"Did you think owls can't dream? Or even speak?" Hedwig asks, sounding offended.

"No! I – It's just..." But the owl is right, of course. That's exactly what I thought.

"Why did you transform into a little girl?" I ask. It's a pretty weak attempt to change the subject. Hedwig rolls her eyes. It's as if she can see right through me.

"Why not? This is a dream. I could also turn into a dragon, if I wanted." Strangely enough this makes sense. But why would she –

Merlin's magical underpants! There is a gigantic, white dragon next to me! It's not the kind of dragon you see in the books about magical creatures. It doesn't even have wings. It's long, almost like a snake and… kind of furry. It somehow looks really familiar.

"You're a luckdradon!"

"You _did_ watch that film an awful lot, when you were younger." Hedwig, in the form of a luckdragon, grins widely now. She clearly enjoys how much her appearance is baffling me. She flies another circle around me and I follow her movements with my eyes. Then I make the mistake of looking down. The Hogwarts grounds are far down below us. The sight makes me feel dizzy. This is only a dream but… what would happen if I actually hit the ground? As soon as I think it, I feel myself falling again. Damn. The ground is approaching fast until –

I land on top of something soft and fluffy. Hedwig. She saved me. And as if it could not get any more surreal than this I suddenly hear a very familiar melody that seems to come from everywhere around us.

"This is the song that plays when Bastian rides on the back of the luckdragon!" I exclaim, before breaking out into uncontrollable laughter. I can't believe this is really happening! Hedwig, the luckdragon, just grins smugly.

"You know, Simon would be so jealous, if he knew about this."

"Shall I pay him a visit tomorrow night?"

"No. I want to see his face. Let's go together, next time." I really don't want to miss my brother's reaction!

"All right," Hedwig agrees. We fly through the night sky above the clouds for a bit longer in companionable silence. It would be nice if we could just keep flying like this forever. We could leave the disappointing reality behind and never look back. I wouldn't have to wake up and deal with everything that is waiting for me once I open my eyes. I don't want to wake up.

"This dream won't last forever, child," Hedwig whispers almost as if she heard my thoughts.

"I know," I mumble into the fluffy fur of her neck. It's warm and soft here. Too comfortable to be real.

"You might as well tell me what has you so worried."

"Who says, I'm worried?" The last thing I want to do now is ruining this pleasant dream by dragging my mess of a life into it.

"You forget that I have known you since you were a tiny fledgling. I can tell when something bothers you."  
I hum non-commitally but don't say anything else. If I just pretend long enough that there is nothing to say, she might leave the matter alone. For a few seconds it seems like my strategy is working but then the world suddenly turns upside-down. My arms tighten around Hedwig's neck, purely on reflex, which is the only thing that keeps me from falling into nothingness again.

"Hedwig!" I yell in exasperation. I can't believe this. She is flying with her back to the ground now. And her soft chuckling tells me that this is purely intentional.

"What is it, birdie?"

"Please, stop!"

"Stop, what?"

"Stop… I mean – fly normal again!" I know this is a dream and if I fall I probably won't be hurt but… this feels so real. The clouds are floating past us by but it's all wrong. I can't see the ground. And the sky… is it above us or below? My stomach churns uncomfortably.

"Hedwig, please!"

"Will you tell me what's on your mind?"

I don't even think before answering, "Yes! I'll tell you _anything_. Anything you want to hear. Just _please_!"  
Before I can plead any more the world rights itself once more and I can finally relax.

"Why'd you do that?" I ask, as soon as I've caught my breath.

"You're changing the topic," Hedwig accuses. Her shiny claws click against one another in a way that seems almost impatient.

"Fine, I'll tell you. I'll tell you!" I really don't want to repeat the experience of flying upside-down. I take a deep breath in an attempt to brace myself for what I am about to say. But… what _am_ I going to say? Where should I start?

"Umm… so, do you know that – that blond Slytherin in our year?" I can't bring myself to actually say his name.

"You mean that human who always walks around looking like he only ever catches rats instead of delicious little mice?"

What in Merlin's name-? "Hedwig, what–?"

"That arrogant eagle owl always carries out packages and letters for him."

"So, you know him?" There is only one person at Hogwarts who owns an eagle owl. That I know of. Malfoy, of course. He is such a show-off.

"What about him? Did he ruffle your feathers again?" Hedwig asks and before I can think of an answer she starts to laugh. "That's a funny expression, really," She adds, once she has calmed down a bit. Who would have thought that Hedwig had a fondness for lame puns. But wait… what did she say just now? _Again_?

"Hedwig," I begin suspiciously. "What do you mean did he ruffle my feathers _again_?"

"Well, you're not exactly best pals, are you?" She deflects.

"You knew that he always harrasses me?"

Hedwig rolls her eyes, "Of course. I _am_ an owl after all."

She has a point there. "Fair enough."

"So, what about that little worm?" Hedwig asks, making a left turn. I giggle. _Worm_ seems like a fitting expression.

"He – I mean, I – I went into his dream… I… I wanted to find out why… why he always picks on me. Or at least… find a way to stop him." And I've accomplished none of that. How disappointing.

"I see." Hedwig hums thoughtfully. "What did you find out?"

I bury my face in the thick fur again. My cheeks are burning. This is so embarrassing. Do I really have to say it all out loud?

"He's… he's really different in his dreams."

"Different? How so?"

"I think he… that one time he dreamed of me… and he… he was really _different_ …"

I hear the impatient clicking of Hedwig's claws again. She's not going to throw me off, if I don't tell her the rest, is she?

i hastily continue, almost stumbling over the words, "I – I think that – if it were any one but Malfoy – if it were any one else, I'd think – that he – that he has a c-crush o-on me." My confession is followed with silence. I feel sweaty and tingly all over. It's too hot and I think I'm really going to be sick this time around. Might this have something to do with the pinkish clouds we're flying through now? Wait… why are the clouds pink in the first place? And why is Hedwig grinning like this? No more than a second later, she bursts into roaring laughter. Good thing, I wasn't utterly confused before.

"You're not supposed to laugh at me!" I hear myself whine indignantly. "I know, it sounds ridiculous but… that's what it looked like, okay?"

"No need to _fly_ off the handle, birdie," Hedwig snorts. Is she going to keep making these bad jokes? "So, you think the boy has the _hoots_ for you?" The owl-turned-luckdragon asks with a grin. I have to admit that was kind of funny. This is serious, though. I have to keep that in mind. I bite my lips and nod in confirmation.

"And what do you plan to do with that information?" She asks, still chuckling softly.

"Well, I… I thought I could blackmail him… so that he will stop tormenting me." It sounds kind of lame phrased like that. "That's at least what mum suggested..."

"I see." Hedwig sounds awfully sceptical.

"Do you… not think that will work?"

She doesn't answer right away. And when she does, her tone is hesitant… thoughtful. "I think… you should… confirm your assumption first."

"Huh?" I can't shake the feeling that she knows more. That she's hiding something.

"Wouldn't it be embarrassing if you tried to blackmail him and then it turns out that… what you saw was no more than a dream?"

"Exactly! That's what I thought, too," I agree. It's a thought that I cling to with almost painful determination. It's a much more bearable thought than the alternative.

"So confirm it," Hedwig advises once more.

"But… how do I _confirm_ it?"

"Well, you could kiss him. If he kisses you in return he probably likes you and if he hexes you… he probably doesn't."

"I'm not going to kiss that jerk! _Ew_!" The mere thought is enough to make me shudder. "I don't care if it's just within a dream. There has to be another way."

We're flying across a deep green forest. The sight is beautiful but I can't appreciate that now.

"Oh, you'd have to do it in the real world, of course. If you want to be really sure."

"Never. Ever." I growl with a grimace.

"Hm… then you could… I don't know… what do they always do in the romantic movies? Hold hands? Sing him a song? Or… look deep into his eyes?" Hedwig flies lower until her claws lightly graze the treetops. "What do _I_ know? Pick one."

"But – you're an owl. You know things. Can't you just find out for me?"

Hedwig chuckles softly and suddenly I can't see the trees any more. There is only the dark blue night sky around us. But it's illuminated by little twinkling stars. Thousands of them.

"There are some things that we can only find out on our own." There is a hidden glint in Hedwig's eyes that I can't quite place but I'm almost sure now that she knows more than she's letting on.

"But–" I want to protest but Hedwig interrupts me.

"It's time to wake up now," she says. I can't explain how it happened exactly but I'm standing on the window sill of my dorm again. Next to me stands the girl from before. Hedwig. She smiles at me in an encouraging way. I stumble backwards and not a second later find myself on the hard ground in the middle of the dream corridor. I'm alone now. And more confused than ever.

 **o** **oo**

Later, when Haley woke up, she wondered why the window was open. A soft breeze was washing into the room, blowing up the curtains around her bed. And on her chest, she found a single, white feather.

...

The next morning passed by in a blur. Haley felt even more tired than she had the day before. She slept through most of her morning classes and during Divination she broke almost half of Professor Trelawney's tea cups because she walked headlong into the cupboard. Well, thanks to her clumsy little brother she at least knew a good charm to make them whole again.

"Are you sure, you don't want to go to the hospital wing?" Ron asked for the fourth time as they made their way down to the Great Hall for lunch.

"I'm not sick," Haley answered impatiently, "I'm just a bit tired. That's all."

Ron sighed. "If you say so," he muttered. They had reached the end of the stairs now. "Look at that git," Ron continued distastefully, "The way he prances about the hall, you might think he owns the place."

Haley followed his gaze and sure enough there he was. Draco Malfoy. He was leading a group of Slytherins toward the Great Hall like they were his entourage. Haley wondered whether it was all a big show. In his dream last night his housemates hadn't been that supportive. More the opposite really. But here he was, confident as ever. She couldn't stand him. And the thought that he dreamed about her in such intimate ways made her feel so angry and disgusted, she wanted to–

"We should really use that prank book you got from your dad, don't you think? Just to scare him a bit. I mean, we won't tell Hermione, of course. Let's do that, eh?"  
Haley found herself nodding without even thinking about it. If anyone deserved a bit of a scare it was sodding Malfoy. And she liked that idea much better than the thing Hedwig had suggested.

"Come on, then," Haley said cheerfully, as she walked past the doors, leading to the Great Hall.

"Wait, where are you going? The Great Hall is that way!"

"Well, we're heading to the library, of course. We can't come up with a plan when Hermione's right there and Malfoy watching from across the hall."

Ron seemed disappointed. He looked back toward the Great Hall longingly. "But… you know… won't Hermione be suspicious if we don't turn up for lunch?"

He had a point there. "Right. So… let's do it this way. I'm going to head to the library and you go and tell Hermione… I don't know, tell her I forgot something in Trelawney's classroom or something." Haley shrugged. "I'm gonna start browsing through the book and tell you about it later. How's that sound?"  
Ron nodded enthusiastically. Did that boy ever think about anything beside food?

"Yeah, let's do it that way," he agreed with a grin. He turned toward the Great Hall, but hesitated to actually take a step toward it. "But… are you sure you're not hungry?"  
Haley smiled. His concern was kind of sweet. "It's okay. I can always go down to the kitchens later on."

"Right," Ron agreed, sounding relieved. "I'll see you for Care of magical Creatures!"  
And with that he made his way toward the Great Hall. Haley shook her head in amusement and walked down the hall that lead to the library.

...

The letters on the page were starting to blur. What was it? A _Singing_ _Hex_? No, it said _Stinging_ _Hex_. Haley turned the page. _Goblin_ _Weed_? What was _that_ good for? There was a funny sketch of a dancing goblin below the text. Had Sirius drawn that? She turned another page. _Elphaba_ _Berries_. No, _Elpha_ _Berries_. What did they do?

 _Commonly used for permanently colouring..._ _as green as a shamrock..._ Haley blinked, trying to read the rest of the information on the page. But she could barely keep her eyes open. It was a good thing that she was sitting down. Otherwise she might have collapsed on the spot. For a moment she let her head sink onto her arms that were resting on the table. In front of her was her prank book and as it seemed she was the only person in the library. Beside Madame Pince anyway.

"Do you think sleeping will make you pretty?" Asked a voice quietly. "You know, beauty sleep doesn't work for anyone."

Haley tensed. She knew that voice all too well. Since when was he here? She raised her head slowly, blinking up at the boy who was sitting in the chair opposite her. "Go away," she mumbled tiredly.

"Now, Potter, where are your manners?" Malfoy tsked lowly. She tried to glare at him. But she was too tired to do even that.

"There's something on your face," the Slytherin informed her as he reached across the table and brushed his thumb against her cheek. Was this a dream? Haley wasn't sure. But it felt different from a dream. Malfoy seemed different. He was smirking at her. But not in a particularly warm or friendly manner. What was going on then?

His thumb was scratching across her cheek and it was only then that Haley noticed he was wearing gloves. Why was he wearing gloves in the library? And it also smelled funny. Kind of sweet and fruity... She felt the urge to slap his hand away. But as she was raising her hand, she heard Hedwig's voice in her head.

 _So, confirm it_ , the voice whispered. _Confirm it_ … Right. This was the perfect chance. What had she said again? She should hold his hand? Just as Malfoy was removing his hand from her face, Haley caught it in mid-air and almost slammed it against the table. Her sudden movement caused him to jerk backwards in surprise.

"Potter, what are you-?"

But Haley wasn't done with him. She leaned across the table until there were only inches between their faces. Trying not to blink, she looked right into his eyes.

"What on earth, are you doing, Potter?"

It could have been uncomfortable. But Haley was tying so hard to see anything special in his eyes that she didn't register much else.

"Potter, you're crushing my fingers! Are you mad?" He exclaimed and tore his hand and eyes away from her. He didn't look flustered or seem affected by her at all.

"I was just – I mean – I..." Well, so much for Hedwig's clever plan. Malfoy watched her like she had gone crazy. But wait… wasn't that a faint blush she spotted on his cheeks? She shook her head. No, it was probably just the light. She lowered her eyes in embarrassment, causing them to land on her book once more.

 _Elpha_ _B_ _erries_ , she read and felt her eyelids droop again. No! She couldn't fall asleep now. Not now! Not… With a soft _clonk_ her head fell to the table. The last thing she remembered was soft fingers, lifting her chin and then she felt something like a soft cloth against her cheek.

"It's too bad," whispered a voice close to her face, in a tone that was tinged with remorse. But maybe that was just her imagination.

...

Haley woke up to the sound of voices.

"She's here! I told you, she was in the library!" That was Ron.

"Where?" Hermione's worried voice asked.

"Here, in the Herbology section."

The voices became louder.

"Thank Merlin, I thought – but you said she forgot something in the divination class room – this is already the second time! What if it's something serious? Ronald, you really shouldn't have left her alone when she was like this."

"What? Now it's my fault? She said she wasn't sick, okay? She said it herself!"

"And you believed her of course."

"Why the bloody hell shouldn't I?"

When Hermione let out a dangerous growl, Haley decided it was time for her to get involved.

"I'm fine. There's no need to get into a fight because of me." She lifted her head from where it had been resting on her arms and looked at her two friends in a way that was meant to be assuring.  
For a long moment the two did nothing but to stare at her in bewilderment. What was wrong? Did she look funny because she had just taken a nap? Did she have a weird imprint on her face?

"Your face!" Hermione exclaimed at the same time as Ron shrieked, "You're _green_!"

"I'm _what_?"

"Look at your hands!"

Haley took a look at her hands. They were completely green. Wait… her hands were _green_? She hastily pushed up her sleeves only to discover that the colour went all the way up her arms. " _What in Merlin's name?_ " She shrieked, absolutely horrified.

"Blimey," Ron commented, whistling lowly. "Look at your face."

"My face?" Haley echoed, scrambling for her bag and frantically looking for the tiny mirror she always kept in her bag. Where was it? Where _was_ it? Where – there, it was. With trembling fingers she snapped open the mirror and held it up in front of her face… with her eyes closed. Ever so slowly she opened one eye and then the second.

"No… no, no, no, no, no – this isn't me!" She yelled at the mirror, snapping it shut forcefully. The skin on her face was completely green as well. She looked at her reflection again and began rubbing the green skin furiously. It was no use. She spat on the seam of her sleeve and rubbed it over her arm. The skin stayed green.

"It's not coming off," Haley whined, feeling close to tears. Why did these things keep happening to her?

"Calm down," Hermione whispered soothingly, "let's go see Madame Pomfrey. I'm sure she can help you, all right?"

She took Haley's hand gently, stopping her friend from rubbing her skin raw.

Haley nodded. "Okay," she whispered dejectedly.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed all of a sudden, "Your hand..."

"What...?" Hermione's eyes widened, as she lowered her eyes to her hand. Where her hand was touching Haley's it was starting to turn green as well. She pulled her hand away so quickly, Haley almost didn't see the movement.

"Oh no! It's contagious," Hermione said, she sounded kind of fascinated but also appalled. "What kind of spell is this? It doesn't hurt…"

"Malfoy did it," Haley realised. Really, it was so obvious. "He was here, I think, before I fell asleep. I thought it was a dream first but… He must have hexed me then."

"That slimy son of a–"

"Ron!"

"What? He is a slimy little rat, he is! He deserves to be called much worse!"

"We're still in the library. Madame Pince will throw us out!"

"So what? Look at what he's done to Haley! Look at what he's done to you! We have to do something to make him stop once and for all."

"And what do you suggest, Ronald?"

"The prank book from Haley's dad. We should use it. Haley thinks so, too, don't you, Haley?"

The green-skinned girl looked from one of her friends to the other. Then she looked down at the table where said prank book lay. Where it was supposed to lie. It wasn't on the table. A dark foreboding feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She fetched her bag and emptied all that was inside onto the table. There was her hairbrush, books, her quill, parchment, owl treats, more books… but not the book she was looking for.  
She shook her head. "It's gone."

"What do you mean it's gone?" Ron asked.

"I can't find it. I had it with me before. But… it's not here any more."

"Hermione, did you-?"

"I did not take the stupid prank book, Ronald!" Hermione hissed. Her other hand was starting to turn green as well.

Then Haley realised another blatantly obvious thing. "Malfoy has it."

The words left everyone in stunned silence.

"Well, shit." Ron muttered, putting it bluntly.

"This is a library! How dare you disturb the peaceful silence with these dirty words!" Madame Pince shrieked. She had appeared out of nowhere and only seconds later she shooed them almost violently out of the library.

...

Haley stayed in the hospital wing for two days. Technically, she didn't _have_ _to_ stay there but she was too embarrassed to leave and have the other students see her green face. Hermione left already on the first day, seeing as the colour hadn't fully spread on her skin and she was eager to attend classes again. Her and Ron came to visit her, bringing her homework and telling her everything else she missed. Once, Neville came by as well. He brought her a small bouquet of strange flowers he had sneaked from the green houses. It had been really sweet of him but Haley couldn't even properly thank him because she had hidden her green face behind the curtains around her bed during his whole visit.

Aside from these visits she had slept most of the time. She hadn't realised how much her body had needed to rest. Before going to sleep Haley had decided not to visit the dream corridor for one or two nights. She was so mad at Malfoy that she thought she might have killed him if she'd seen him. Even if it was just his dream-self. And she hadn't wanted to face Hedwig either. The owl would only start asking her stupid uncomfortable questions again.

After sleeping normally for two nights in a row, she felt refreshed and light. Her mum would be proud. It seemed things were looking up. But there was still the problem with Malfoy. He had her prank book now. So she couldn't use it against him any more. Even if she somehow got it back, he probably knew all about the different pranks and also how to reverse them by now. The way it seemed, she couldn't get at him in the real world. So, maybe there was really no other way but to… come at him in his dreams. What other options did she have? She would simply have to try harder.

So, the night after her skin had returned to its normal colour and she could finally sleep in her own bed again, she took Malfoy's gobstone pendant out of her drawer and wrapped it around her wrist. As she lay there with her eyes closed, she realised that she didn't really have a plan. How was she going to get back at the annoying Slytherin? Well, she would just have to make something up as she went. Perhaps his dream would inspire her.

 **ooo**

Playing the song on Malfoy's guitar gets easier every time I do it. This time I even get it right on the first try. Myron Wagtail nods approvingly and even claps his hands a few times. If that's not a good sign I don't know what is. I feel strangely giddy at the prospect of what I'm about to do. After setting down the guitar, I lower my head in a mocking bow. I can't wait to make Malfoy suffer the way he made me. This will be so good! Before opening the door, I send an excited grin Myron's way. Then I open the door and slip through it.

The first thing I notice once I'm in Malfoy's dream is the darkness. Well it's not pitch black but certainly darker than inside the dream corridor. The place – or room, I can't really tell – is bathed in gloomy blue light, ranging from midnight to ocean blue.

Upon closer look, the different colours seem to originate from countless, different sized balloons that are slowly floating around. The way they are floating they resemble fish, weightlessly drifting through water. Inside the balloons there seems to be some sort of light that's giving off soft glows of blue.

It could look pretty but there is a strange coldness that enfolds the whole space like a blanket of ice. It makes me shiver. Am I alone in this dream? But that's not possible, is it? I mean… Malfoy has to be here, somewhere, right? As I walk further into the space, a sense of loneliness and sadness overcomes me. Those aren't my own feelings, are they? I rub my arms, in an attempt to stay warm.

Wait, didn't I hear a voice just now? I stop to listen closely. Yes, that was definitely a voice. Two voices if I'm correct. An indigo blue balloon the size of a carriage floats past me, making me shiver again. Does the cold emanate from these balloons? What would happen if I touched one of them? There is a figure somewhere in front of me. Is it Malfoy? I take a few steps toward the figure – it's a boy – but before I can reach him he jumps on one of the balloons, standing on top of it.

"How pathetic. No wonder nobody loves you," the boy purrs in a voice that is shockingly familiar. Neville? Is that really Neville's voice? I walk a bit closer so I can get a better look at him. Straw blond hair and a round kind face. It's Neville. But right this moment he doesn't look kind at all.

"How could you ever think she might like you?" He continues in a more than slightly mocking tone. Who is he talking to? I follow Neville's gaze toward a boy that is slumped on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face in his arms. All that is visible of his head is his strikingly, white blond hair…

"Someone like you… You're so pathetic," he spits. "You can't even deny it! She doesn't like cowards like you. You're weak and useless and–"

"Stop! Stop it!" The boy yells unexpectedly and lifts his head. His face is a contorted mask of pain.  
I gasp audibly. I try to stifle it but it seems neither of the two boys have noticed me. It's Malfoy. Malfoy is the one that's being put down by Neville… I can't believe this!

"You'll be alone forever. She will never look at you the way she looks at me," the Neville doppelgänger continues to taunt him.

"No! Stop it! _Shut up!_ " Malfoy hisses angrily, getting to his feet in one quick move.

Neville raises an eyebrow challengingly. "Oh, now it's starting to get interesting. How are you going to stop me?"

Malfoy takes out his wand and points it at Neville. That one gesture causes Neville to start chuckling amusedly. It sounds uncharacteristically cruel. He doesn't look the slightest bit intimidated or frightened. I don't see his wand anywhere.

"Let's see who has the last laugh," the Slytherin says in reply. He seems surprisingly determined.

For a second everything seems frozen like in a muggle photograph. I don't know what to feel. Or who I want to win this fight.

" _Stupefy!_ " Malfoy yells and I fight the urge of calling out to Neville telling him to watch out. He doesn't move an inch. I blink in confusion. He didn't move because there had been no spell coming at him. No red sparks.

Malfoy glares at Neville angrily. " _Stupefy!_ " He yells again. " _Impedimenta!_ " But nothing happens still. Nothing except for Neville's increasing laughter. He spreads out his arms in a seemingly inviting manner. "Come on! Don't tell me that's all you've got," he taunts.

" _Stupefy_ ," the Slytherin shouts, sounding more and more exasperated. " _Stupefy, stupefy – crucio!_ " Even though this is a dream, hearing the incantation of the Unforgivable curse makes me flinch. But luckily the wand still doesn't seem to work. I don't think I would have been able to stand there and watch Neville – or this distorted version of him – being tortured.

The laughter stops abruptly. "Now, that's just tasteless, don't you think?" Neville asks, as he jumps down from his balloon.

"Do _not_ come closer," Malfoy orders in a voice that sounds close to panicked. He tightly grips the wand in both his hands. Neville marches on regardless of his words.

"I said _don't_!" Malfoy screeches. " _Cruci_ –!" He breaks off before he can finish, looking at his hands in bewilderment. They're empty. His wand is gone. His gaze wanders up again until it lands on the wand that is lying there in Neville's open palm.

"Are you looking for this?" Neville asks with a smirk.

"Give it back!" Malfoy hisses, his face as white as chalk.

"No, I don't think so," the other boy purrs in a pitying tone. "You haven't earned it."

"I said _give it back_!"

"Come and get it yourself if you can. And if you cannot… well I always knew you were a failure. And the fun thing is that it's your own fault."

Malfoy opens his mouth to argue but he can't seem to find the right words. Something washes through the whole room like an invisible wave. A feeling? No. Different feelings. Humiliation, sadness, anger, frustration. Shame. Helplessness. Fear. I feel them as sharply as if they were my own. They strike a note somewhere deep inside of me. This is how I feel every time Malfoy finds a new way to torment me. I chance a look at him. He looks devastated.

"See? You don't even deny it," Neville says with a chuckle. "Look at you. Nobody could ever love someone like you. You're nothing but a pitiful little-"

"Leave him alone!" I surprise myself by striding over to the two boys and coming to a halt between them. I turn to face this bad copy of Neville and – for possibly the first time ever – find myself wishing he wasn't there. One second later he vanishes into thin air. Wait… did _I_ do that? I turn around to look for him but there's no trace of the wannabe Gryffindor left.

It's just me… and Malfoy. Who's fixing me with a weary look. I didn't think this through. What in Merlin's name am I supposed to do now?

"I-" I start to say but the boy doesn't let me finish.

"Is it true?" He asks. His voice sounds hollow and lifeless. I look into his eyes but I'm not sure he's really there.

"Is... what... true?" I question nervously. He takes a step toward me, so he's standing right in front of me.

"What he said… That nobody could ever love someone like me. That… you could never-" He doesn't finish his sentence. His voice breaks on the last word, piercing like glass.

"Is it true?" He asks again more urgently. He suddenly grabs my shoulders. I can do nothing but stare into his intense grey eyes that look anxiously back at me. There's water pooling in his eyes. He blinks and the tears stream down his cheeks like tiny rivulets. Nothing has ever shocked me the way the sight of this crying boy is shocking me in this very moment. It looks so _wrong_. Like the world has turned upside-down.

" _Is it true?_ " He asks another time, his voice shaky and desperate as he shakes me by the shoulders.

I shake my head absently but I'm not sure what it means. Whether it is an answer to his question or just an attempt at willing away this whole situation like one might shake off a disturbing thought.

Then without a warning, Malfoy's hands slip from my shoulders and he sinks to his knees, burying his face in his hands.

"Look, I-" I don't know what I'm trying to say but it doesn't matter much anyway. All of a sudden the ground starts to shake and everything starts to blur into a formless grey mass until it all just vanishes abruptly. When I say everything I'm not just talking about the blue balloons or the walls. The colours are gone, the noise is gone, the ground beneath me is gone. But I'm somehow not falling. I'm not standing either. Malfoy is gone. And I am the only thing that's left. Not even the dream door is anywhere in sight. It looks like I'm trapped here. It's just me, the nothingness and the unsettling memory of Malfoy's broken eyes.

…

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! SO, now the angst begins... but it won't stay for long. What did you think? I'd love to hear any thoughts about the chapter :) How did you like Hedwig? I had so much fun writing her in the beginning of the chapter. You probably already guessed but Hedwig turned herself into the dragon from "The Neverending Story". I saw that movie as a child and it was awesome. But to be honest the book is so much better. Go read it :)  
Fun fact: I actually once rode on the back of Falcor, the luckdragon. There is this puppet of him in the film studios in Munich, where you can sit on his back and they film you and you appear on a screen where it looks like you're actually flying. Quite cool. But the puppet is much more impressive in the movie than in real life.

The title is inspired by "Envy Green" by _The Arcadian Wild_. Such a cool song.

Have an awesome weekend and leave me your thoughts, Feather :)


	7. The Last Laugh

**7 – The Last Laugh**

" _I had a dream about you last night. The champagne was non-alcoholic. You didn't notice, and laughed at my jokes anyway."  
― Michael Summers, I Had a Dream About You_

 _..._

It was a dream. Nothing but a dream. And it had nothing to do with her. Right? But then why couldn't Haley stop thinking about it? And why did she feel so bad? Malfoy had finally got a taste of his own medicine. Wasn't this what she had wanted? _Not like this_ , she thought. The git probably didn't even remember it. Or did he? Even if he did, this hadn't been _her_ revenge. It had just been a stupid nightmare. But then why did she feel so bad about it? And what in Merlin's name did Neville have to do with all of this?

"Um, Haley? We're not supposed to repot the tigerlilies today. Professor Sprout said all we're doing today is feeding them and cutting their claws," Neville informed her and gently removed her hand from the pot where she had started digging.

"What? But didn't she say we were going to repot them?" She asked confusedly.

"Yes, but not until next week," he replied with a kind smile, before turning back to his own tigerlilies. For a moment, Haley watched him patiently cutting the claws of the tigerlilies. He seemed so contend doing that. It was such a different picture compared to the version of him she had seen in Malfoy's dream last night. Should she ask him about it? But what should she ask?

"Neville?" She asked, trying for a neutral tone.

"Hm?"

"You know… about Malfoy..."

Neville turned back to her at once. "Malfoy? Did he do something to you again?"

"No, no, no! That's not..." She raised her hands, waving them back and forth to emphasise her point. "I just… I was wondering if, you know… if you and Malfoy ever… if there was something…" Why was it so hard to ask a simple question?

Neville frowned at her. "Me and Malfoy? What-? What are you talking about?"

"Did you ever… I don't know… fight – or something?"

"Fight?" He echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Um… yes?"

Neville turned away from her and started feeding his tigerlilies with _dirigible plums_. "Why do you ask?" He questioned lightly. But something about his voice sounded strange. And he wasn't even looking at her.

"Just because," she offered with a shrug. "So, did you have a fight with him?"

The boy in question shook his head and mumbled. "Not that I remember."

"Are you sure?" She inquired.

"Yeah." He grinned. "Do you _want_ me to hex him?"

His words conjured up a much too vivid image of Malfoy's dream in front of her inner eye. She almost shuddered at the memory of the Slytherin screaming _Crucio_ at Neville.

"No, that's okay," Haley quickly assured her friend. "It's just-" She bit her lips. How was she supposed to approach the topic without revealing what she had seen in last night's dream?

"Never mind." She replied instead, while she reached for her pair of scissors and proceeded to work on her tigerlilies.

"Here, take mine. I sharpened them just now," Neville told her, before offering his pair of scissors to her.

"Thanks," she replied, taking the scissors from his warm and calloused hands. He wasn't even wearing gloves. But then, he hadn't even gotten a scratch when they had worked with the biting beans. He just had a way with plants. Maybe they sensed his unwavering kindness and compassion. Haley felt stupid. How could she have ever thought he somehow played a part in Malfoy's nightmare?

…

They went back to the castle for lunch and as they reached the Entrance Hall, Haley spotted Malfoy, leaning against the banisters of the staircase. He almost seemed like he was waiting for something. There was a thoughtful, almost pensieve air about him. When they passed him an annoying smirk appeared on his face.

"Hey Potter, what happened to your skin? The green looked so good on you. I have this poison green scarf that would have suited your skin tone perfectly. I could have lent it to you."

"Leave her alone, Malfoy," Neville said calmly. His voice might have been calm but there was something threatening in his gaze. The Slytherin sneered at him angrily, which uncomfortably reminded Haley of the unsettling dream.

"Don't worry, Neville, I can handle it," she quickly intervened, stepping between the two boys.

"Are you sure?" Her friend asked with obvious concern.

"Yes," she assured him. "Why don't you go on ahead and save me a seat? I'll be there in a moment."  
The boy's eyes lingered on Haley's face for a moment before trailing over to Malfoy.

"If you're sure," he muttered. She nodded, giving him a small smile. After a last glance at the other boy, Neville turned around and made his way over toward the Great Hall. Looking back at the Slytherin, she found him watching her with a raised eyebrow.

"How brave of you." He drawled mockingly. "Sending your golden knight away to face the big bad Slytherin all alone."

Haley rolled her eyes. She couldn't stand the git. Why was she doing this again? And what was she doing in the first place? For a moment she had toyed with the idea of apologizing to him. But she quickly thought better of it. How was it her fault that the idiot had had such an awful dream? Everyone had nightmares. Why should she feel sorry for that? Well, she had witnessed his breakdown without his knowledge. So, there was that. But that was really the only thing she felt bad about. And she couldn't just go and say 'S _orry, for_ _peaking at_ _you in your dream last night._ _Won't happen again, promise'._ That was ridiculous. So, she simply looked at him while she tried to come up with a suitable response.

"What are you staring at?" He asked with a sneer.

"I'm-" she bit her lips, before the word ' _sorry'_ could escape.

"You're what, Potter? Too daft to talk?"  
All the sympathy she felt vanished at once.

"I know it was you who took my notebook. So, I suggest you give it back," she spat, planting her hand on her hip and narrowing her eyes at him.

"Your notebook," he scoffed. "Are you calling me a thief right now?"

"What if I am?" She asked in return.

"Careful, Potter. I am a prefect, remember. And I would _suggest_ you take better care of your belongings before you start randomly accusing innocent people." Malfoy said all of that very calmly, making her feel like she was a stupid, immature child. She wanted to _scream_. He knew that she was right. His smug grin was practically spelling it out. But she didn't have any evidence. She would have to break into his dorm room in order to prove it.

"You know what? Forget it." She hissed, cursing herself for expecting any decency from the boy.

"Forget what?" Malfoy scoffed but Haley had already turned away from him and started marching in the direction of the Great Hall. She really should have known better.

…

It was silly. She didn't owe the git anything. Still… she felt like she could at least do this much. She could stay away from his dreams for one night. And at the same time this would please her mum. So, Haley decided to sleep like a normal person for once. She fell asleep surprisingly quickly. And in the morning her body thanked her by feeling rested and energetic. Even Hermione noticed that she seemed less tired than usual.

"You seem much more relaxed now," she commented during breakfast. "For a moment I thought the stress was too much on you."

"I'm fine, Hermione." She told her friend. "I simply needed a good night of sleep." It wasn't even a lie Haley noted. She wondered if she would ever be able to tell Hermione about her dream adventures. Probably not without her friend going ballistic.

"I still think we should tell Professor McGonnagall about your dad's book. She could make sure Malfoy has to give it back to you." Hermione advised, while spreading pumpkin jam across her slice of toast.

"We can't!" Ron piped up. "Then McGonnagall is gonna keep it and we will never see it again."

"And it won't make a difference anyway," Haley said resignedly. "The prat has probably memorised the whole book by now."

Hermione didn't argue with that. She didn't have to. She knew Haley was right.

…

She really should have seen it coming. All day the castle had been too quiet. Almost suspiciously so. Malfoy hadn't even sent a glare at her for the way she had called him a _thief_ the day before. So, when she reached for the last treacle tart at dinner and a pale hand snatched the treat away before she could yell _Wait_ _!,_ she should have realised something was wrong.

"Oops. Don't tell me you wanted to eat that," Malfoy drawled in mock-surprise. He demonstratively took a giant bite of the treacle tart, before grimacing. "Ew, this tastes awful. Do you want to have the rest?" He offered the sad rest of the treacle tart to her with a mocking grin.

"Not in your dreams, Malfoy," Haley replied, trying not to show how much he was getting to her.

"Don't say I didn't offer," the Slytherin said and handed the treat to Crabbe who was standing behind him.

"There are still some on our end!" Exclaimed a voice from the other end of the Gryffindor table. It was Colin Creevey who was excitedly running over to her, before placing a full tray of treacle tarts in front of her triumphantly.

"Thank you, Colin," Haley said warmly. He was really sweet. And somehow his sweetness reminded her of her brother, Simon. She smiled.

"Looks like your plan didn't work out after all." Haley said smugly, her eyes resting on Malfoy's while she grabbed one of the treacle tarts and slowly took a bite, savouring the taste.

Malfoy only shrugged, his smirk widening. "I guess you're too clever for me, Potter." He admitted. But what bothered her was his smirk. Why in Merlin's name was he smirking like that?

"Stop smirking you-" Haley clapped her hand in front of her mouth. Was that her voice? Why did it sound like she was trying to imitate a chipmunk?

"What did you do to me you prat?" She squeaked, sounding terribly close to a mouse.  
That's when the boy in question and his Slytherin friends burst into roaring laughter. And they weren't the only ones. Some of the members of her own house were also joining in the laughter. Even Neville was fighting off a grin. Haley felt her face flame up in embarrassment. Could this get any worse?

"You absolute git!" She screeched, getting up from her seat. She wished she could simply vanish into thin air. But perhaps dramatically rushing out of the Great Hall would be enough for the moment? She proceeded to do exactly that when a voice stopped her from taking even one step.

"Haley, don't you want to eat up?"  
The girl in question turned back around slowly. Neville was holding her forgotten treacle tart in his fingers and looking at her expectantly. It seemed like he had been the one talking to her but the voice hadn't sounded like his at all. It had sounded at least two octaves higher.

"I honestly don't know what your problem is, Malfoy. They're delicious!" Neville said to Malfoy, his voice sounding almost as high as Haley's.

"Hey Fred, what d'you reckon is in there?" George Weasley piped up in an equally squeaky tone.

"Don't know, but we should definitely take a sample for later." His twin brother replied with an unnaturally high giggle.

It was incredibly touching what her friends were doing for her. And now, she could even appreciate the humour in all of this. Everyone just sounded so ridiculous that she found herself laughing. She glanced at Malfoy. The sour look on his face made her only laugh more. It seemed like he had lost this round.

"Who has the last laugh, now, Malfoy?" She asked him, not caring about her squeaky voice any longer.  
Malfoy snorted. "We'll see." He sneered, before stalking out of the Great Hall, closely followed by his entourage.

 **...ooo...**

Is this a bad idea? Will Malfoy realise that I'm not the real Goyle? Probably not… In a dream it's not that unusual that your friends act different sometimes, right? The more pressing question is whether the Slytherin is really going to tell his friends about his most intimate thoughts. Well, there is only one way to find out.

I walk down the dream corridor, trying to imitate the way Goyle walks. Am I doing this right? To the left there is my brother's dream door. It's been a while since I last visited him. His door looks terribly inviting. For a moment I just stand there, wishing I could see his welcoming face for a bit. But unfortunately there are other things I have to take care of.

"What are you doing here?" Asks a familiar voice out of the blue. I turn around but there's no one there. Huh?

"I'm here," says the voice and then I spot something fluttering close to my face. It's a tiny human with leathery, dragonlike wings that glimmer in different colours of the rainbow. It's my mum.  
I can only gape at her. She is full of surprises. And currently no taller than my thumb.

"Were you going to visit your brother, love?" She asks, nodding toward Simon's door.  
I shake my head, still transfixed by the flapping of her wings. Then I realise something.

"Wait. How did you know it's me?" As far as I can see I still have the appearance of Gregory Goyle.  
Mum knocks at the lens of my glasses. "I know those glasses, poppet," she remarks with a grin.  
Right. Maybe I should take off my glasses. I take them off and store them inside the pocket of my Slytherin robes.

"So, where are you headed looking like this?" Mum asks curiously.

"Well… you know." I offer, making vague gestures in the direction I was heading.

"I see. You're on a secret mission. Has your stalking been successful so far?" She questions, tugging at a strand of my short hair.

"It's not stalking," I protest weakly. In a way it could be considered stalking. And we both know it.

"If you say so," mum replies, letting go of my hair. "But… just so you know, if you have questions or if there is anything you don't understand, just ask me. Dreaming is my speciality!" She exclaims while flying upwards in a spiral. She looks like a ballerina. With dragon wings. This is so surreal.

"Well, now that you mention it, there _is_ something I've been wondering about," I muse.

"Yes?" Mum has stopped twirling around in circles and is floating down now so she can meet my eyes.

"I was… in someone's dream the other night… And then all of a sudden he disappeared and everything else vanished as well. Even the dream door. There was literally nothing there beside me." I end my tale with a shrug. It had been terrible. I had been feeling so lost and lonely. I don't ever want to repeat that experience again.

"Ah, I see," mum remarks, touching her chin with her tiny finger. "He must have woken up."

"Really?" I ask. It seems like such an easy and logical explanation. I could have deduced that myself.  
Mum, the dragon fairy, nods.

"But… when that happens. Is there any way to get out or back to the corridor?" That had been the worst. Not knowing when or _if_ I was ever going to escape the nothingness.

"I'm afraid, the only way to get out is to wait until you wake up," she informs me. She seems disappointed that she can't be of more help to me.

"It's fine, I guess. At least I know what it means now." I want to pat her arm or something. But she is simply too small for that. I opt for a smile instead.

"I love your wings by the way."

"Thanks, love," she smiles back at me, reaching for my face and pinching my cheek. I don't even feel it. "I know why you're my favourite daughter."

"I'm your only daughter," I remind her with a frown.

Mum waves her hand at me in a dismissive way. "Technicalities. Didn't you say you had things to attend to?"  
Right. I've come here for a reason.

"You're right. I'll be going then."

"Good luck with your mission!"

"Thanks!" I wave at her one last time, before turning around and following the corridor to the dream door of Draco Malfoy.

"Look at that! A new face!" Myron Wagtail greets me excitedly.

"Hey Myron!" I greet back.

"How do you know my name?" He asks suspiciously.

"Everyone knows your name," I reply, while trying to make my voice sound like Goyle's. It's not that hard. All I need to do is make it sound deeper and add a bit of grunting.

"Oh right! Of course! I'm super-mega-famous!" He exclaims and proceeds to bang his head wildly. Instead of waiting for the singer to finish I grab the guitar and start plucking the strings. It sounds awesome if I may say so myself.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong!" Myron interrupts me, shaking his head forcefully. Huh?

"But it sounded so great!" I protest.

"You're right. But sadly it was the wrong tune." He informs me, wiggling his pointer finger at me.

Then I realise that I _have_ been playing the wrong song after all! I played the intro of that muggle song about a baby that's plugged in or something like that. I heard it on the radio the other night. How thoughtless of me. Fortunately, I can just try again. Here comes the amazing _Weird Sisters_ solo! By now I can practically play this in my sleep. _Literally_. After the last string has been plucked I set down the guitar and look at Myron.

"Not as brilliant as I would have played it but I guess you may enter," he acknowledges and finally the door opens. _What a show-off_ , I think, while I walk through the door.

Hm. The room that I find myself in seems at the same time familiar and strange. It looks a bit like the Gryffindor common room. But the colour scheme is different. Everything is decorated in green tones instead of red and gold. And the couches and armchairs are arranged differently as well. This must be what the Slytherin common room looks like.

"Ah, Goyle! You've decided to join us! Come here and sit with us." Draco Malfoy invites me over to where he is sitting on a couch with Blaise Zabini. It seems my disguise is convincing enough.

I make my way over to the two boys and take a seat in the armchair that's next to the couch. I'm too nervous to sit opposite him. This way he won't catch me that easily.

"So, we were just talking about the party we're throwing next weekend. If you could invite anyone," he pauses dramatically and looks right into my eyes. "Who would you invite?"

"I'd invite Fleur Dela-"

"I don't remember asking you, Zabini. We all know you've got the hots for that French veela girl. I was asking Goyle." Malfoy interrupts, looking at me expectantly. "Now, Goyle."

"Uh… well, I..." I mutter stupidly. Who would expect such a question?

"Come on, Goyle! Who shall we invite?" Malfoy asks again. He sounds impatient and curious.

"Maybe – maybe –" I really don't know what he wants to hear from me. Well, here goes nothing. "Potter!" I burst out. "We could invite Potter."

Malfoy narrows his eyes at me. Damn. Seems like that was the wrong choice.

"Potter?" He questions in a dangerous tone. I nod, biting my lips, nervously.

"Why would _you_ invite _her_?"

"Uh – I just thought – I – I mean..."

"You thought _what_?"

"I don't know," I grunt, hoping the answer will be enough.

Malfoy rolls his eyes. "I want to believe you, you know," he says, poking a finger at my chest. Or at least he tries to because I scoot away before he can reach me. I might look like a guy now but it would still feel terribly wrong to let Malfoy touch my chest.

The boy in questions frowns at me, before continuing to speak. "After all, I don't think I need to explain to you that Haley Potter is off-limits. I can't make an exception for you, Goyle," he concludes, sounding almost sad. What the heck?

"I – It's not like that." I answer. This is so weird. I would have never imagined that there would come a day (or night) where I would have to assure Draco Malfoy that I don't have a crush on myself. But wait. Does that mean he really… he really does like me?

"Of course it isn't like that," he says kindly. "You'd never betray me. You wouldn't dare." That doesn't sound scary at all. Or crazy. I want to ask him about me. But with the way he looks at me – or Goyle – that doesn't seem like the best idea. Maybe I need a change of plans.

"So Zabini," Malfoy turns to the other boy. He seems to have forgotten about me. "Who else shall we invite? Besides Fleur Dela-what-do-I-care."

Zabini considers this for a second. I intensely stare at him, trying to memorise exactly what he looks like. Before the boy has a chance to answer I jump up and point at something behind Malfoy.

"The snitch, the snitch!" I shout excitedly.

"Where?" The blond asks, turning around. Ha. I didn't think this would actually work. Now to Zabini. I make a swift gesture with my hand in his direction like I'm trying to get rid off a fly. And just like that he vanishes. So far so good. Closing my eyes, I quickly envision Zabini's appearance and will myself to look like him.

"It's gone," Malfoy states, turning his head back around. He doesn't seem surprised about the fact that Zabini sits no longer next to him or that Goyle is gone in the slightest. "We need to finish the guest list today, _Zabini,_ " he presses, staring at me intensely. Seems my transformation has worked.

"We should invite Neville," I propose casually. This could either be a big mistake or my chance to finally get some answers.

"Who?" The blond asks, seeming confused. That's when I realise I probably used the wrong name.

"I – I meant Longbottom," I sputter.

Malfoy glares at me even more than he did when I suggested inviting myself. Well, damn.

"Longbottom?" Malfoy echoes in a dangerously quite tone. "I wouldn't invite that moron if I had the choice between him and a mountain troll."

"Why do you hate him so much?" I dare ask, before I can stop myself.

"You mean aside from the obvious?" The boy scoffs. I nod.

"Do you remember last year when I asked you how you got that Gryffindor to come to the ball with you?" He asks with a sigh. Then he continues without waiting for a reply. "Well, guess what, I was planning to ask Potter." He dead-pans. I freeze. Is this… is this the truth?

"I had it all planned out," he continues. "And then when I finally got my nerves together that idiot had to go and snatch her away." It looks like the memory – is it a memory? – pains him. "It's just – it's all his fault! Everything. He ruined everything!"

I'm too shocked to say anything in return.

"So, do me a favour and _never_ mention that blasted name ever again," he concludes, fixing me with a sharp glare. There's a storm of emotions raging behind his grey eyes. I get the feeling that there might be more to the story.

The intensity seems too much for mere jealousy. I open my mouth to ask but Malfoy cuts me off before I can get out even one syllable.

"Hey, mind if I drink this?"

"W-what?"

Instead of answering the Slytherin grabs a green mug with gold dots from the table in front of the couch that I notice only now. I don't know what I expected to be inside it. But from the colour of the liquid and the delicious, unmistakable smell it seems like it's hot chocolate. Malfoy reaches under the table and brings up a dusty brown bottle, labelled _Firewhisky_.

"A hot drink for a hot lad," the blond drawls, pulling off the cork and adding no more than a teaspoon of Firewhiskey to his cocoa. I chuckle at his careful administrations. This is the best thing since chocolate frogs.

"Stop laughing," he growls, putting the bottle down again. "Or I'm going to tell your precious girlfriend about the _magazines_ you keep beneath your pillow." _Magazines_?

"By the way, I took one last week. You know the one with the witch in the broom closet. Do you actually enjoy these? I found it awfully tacky. What were these people thinking – Zabini, where are you – are you blushing?" Malfoy asks in a mocking tone. I'm on my feet, half-way toward the door that hopefully leads out of this dream. No way am I going to stay here and talk about these _magazines_ with a guy. And with Malfoy on top of that!

"You're not embarrassed, are you?" He calls after me but I'm already at the door, pulling at the handle violently. I'm gone before Malfoy gets the chance to utter even one more word.

Once I'm in the corridor I turn right and keep walking straight ahead until I reach the door that looks like a bakery. I open it without thinking twice. Seeing my brother Simon is surely going to brighten my mood. The room I enter looks suspiciously like our kitchen at home. The walls are painted in warm reds and oranges with mum's and some of my own paintings covering them.

"Here, would you take those to mum and Baz? For the icing?" Simon tells me, while handing me a baking tray full of biscuits shaped like snitches. Reflexively, I take the tray and look around, searching for the two in question. At the other end of the room I spot a dark-haired boy sitting at our kitchen table and decorating cookies.

Wait a second… isn't that Baz? The boy from the Hampshire Quidditch team who always torments my brother? What in Merlin's name is that evil gnome doing here? The tray comes to rest on the table with a loud _clank_. Baz flinches and looks up at me with wide confused eyes. He deserves it.

"Where are your manners? You're scaring away our guest," mum's voice admonishes. But she's nowhere to be – there. The dragon wings. She is still as small as my thumb and cheerfully painting colourful patterns onto the cookies with a toothpick airbrush. Did I imagine it or did she just wink at me? Has everyone gone insane? I march over to where Simon is cutting out the next batch of biscuits.

"What is that evil dwarf doing here?" I ask suspiciously.

"Oh, Baz? He came by and I invited him to help me make biscuits. At first I thought he was going to punch me but then he actually came in and started helping me. Weird huh? He does everything I say." Simon tells me happily. I swallow down the urge to inform him that this is just a dream.

He leans in close to me and whispers, "You know I think it's because of the biscuits. Sweets make people happy."

"You can't seriously believe that."

"Why not? Maybe we'll even become friends," he says with a bright smile.

"Come on, Simon, bullies don't suddenly turn into nice people just because you give them sweets," I argue with a frown.

He looks back over his shoulder. "They might. And besides, trying doesn't hurt." He shrugs and turns back to the cookies at hand. The snitches all seem to be smiling now.

I turn my head and let my eyes linger on the boy with the long black hair that I've never seen with a facial expression that could be described as remotely friendly. The boy who always seemed to hate my brother on mere principle. But here he is. Decorating cookies at my kitchen table and a warm smile on his face. I know it's not real. It's just an expression of my brother's subconscious. But maybe… it could be worth a try. And just like Simon said, trying doesn't hurt. At least I hope it doesn't.

…

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! This was another crazy chapter but I hope you enjoyed it :) In case you're curious what Haley was playing on the guitar before playing the right tune: it was "Plug in baby" by MUSE. The intro to that song is awesome! Oh right, the idea for the prank with Haley's voice was actually a suggestion from one of my reviewers. So I'd like to thank them again for that :)  
As always I would be more than happy to hear your thoughts!

On a different note, did any of you read the "School for Good and Evil" series? I think this might be the best series of books I read this year. I could talk about it all day :D

All the best, Feather :)


	8. If You Tell Me A Secret

A/N: There's another song in this chapter. It's called "Magic Works" from the soundtrack of the fourth Harry Potter movie. I recommend you to listen to it when it's mentioned in the chapter. You'll know when to listen :)

* * *

 **8 – If you tell me a secret...**

" _In dreams begin responsibilities."  
_ ― _William Butler Yeats, Responsibilities_

 _..._

"Draco Malfoy," Haley whispered, her wand pointed at the map that was spread out on the ground before her. A green dot was blinking somewhere near the Entrance Hall. Beneath it the name _Draco Malfoy_ was scribbled in a cursive scrawl.

 _'5_ _th_ _Year – Slytherin_

 _(most probably an_ _pretentious douchebag_ _like his obnoxious father)'_.

The additional information appeared beneath it, signifying what the Marauders thought about him. _The Marauders_. Her fathers group of friends had called themselves like this during their own years at Hogwarts. And before sending his daughter off to her first year of school, James had told her about a magical map, he had created with his friends.

Unfortunately, the map had been lost to Filch, so her dad had instructed her to retrieve it from the caretaker's office. Haley had found no trace of it, which had caused her dad and his friends to create a new, refined map. The so-called _Magnificent Marauder_ _s_ _' Map,_ which she was now holding in her hands. It was really handy. Besides showing the outlines of the whole castle and its secret passages, the map also showed the castle's inhabitants and their whereabouts. She only had to whisper the name of the person she was looking for and a blinking light appeared above the dot with that person's name. Super easy.

And where was her own name? Right… there. In the middle of the hall in the dungeons that lead toward the portrait behind which the Slytherin common rooms were hidden. On top of the map sat a blueberry cupcake that she had sneaked from the kitchens. The smell was wafting into her nostrils in a way that was highly distracting.

She couldn't eat the cupcake! Then her whole plan would be ruined. Her whole clever plan of waiting in the dungeons at nine o'clock when she should be up in her own tower, doing her homework or getting ready for bed. But no, she was down here in the cold, waiting for that prat of a Slytherin because her naive little brother had given her the idea that sweets solve everything. And apparently, she was stupid enough to actually give it a try.

According to the map, the boy was now walking down the staircase that lead into the dungeons. He would be here in a few moments. And seeing as it was almost curfew, the hall was unsurprisingly deserted. Why on earth had she thought this was a good idea? As if Malfoy would suddenly leave her alone in exchange for a cupcake.

But maybe… if it was true what she had found out in his last dream. If he really had a crush on her… even planned to ask her to the Yule Ball… A shudder went down her back. She still didn't know what to make of this particular piece of information. Malfoy, liking her? This was simply absurd, wasn't it?

The green dot with his name had reached the end of the stairs and was now moving down the hall. He only had to walk to the end and cross the corner. Then he would see her. Crouched on the damp ground and curled into a ball of nerves. She couldn't let him see her like this.

Haley whispered an almost inaudible "Mischief managed marvelously," and made the writing on the map vanish. Then she pushed her treasure into the inner pocket of her robes, picked up the cupcake and jumped to her feet. Not a second too early it seemed, as not a second later a figure rounded the corner. Quickly, the girl reached for her hood and pulled it over her face. The figure seemed lost in their own thoughts, walking past her without giving her a second glance.

Haley's heart raced. Should she take that as a sign and just slink back to her dorm? But she had come all this way… Her dad's map was burning hotly in her pocket. It seemed to be silently judging her. What would the Marauders' comment below her own dot be in this moment? She imagined something like this:

' _5_ _th_ _Year – Gryffindor_

 _(h_ _onestly, what was the Talk_ _ing Hat thinking? Gryffindor?_ _Such a disappointment_ _)_ '.

Haley bit her lips dejectedly. She hated feeling like a failure. Like the Hat really did something wrong, putting her into Gryffindor. What would her dad think of her now? Before she could sink deeper into the circle of self-doubting, someone cleared their throat loudly. Malfoy turned around in alarm, looking straight at her hooded face. _Oh,_ she realized. _That was_ me.

She cleared her throat again, feeling her face heat up. Then, taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to remove the hood. For a long moment the boy only watched her in obvious surprise. Then an amused smirk appeared on his face and he stalked over toward her.

"Haven't heard your voice all day. Does it still sound like you swallowed a banshee?"

Haley's hand clenched to an angry fist. But she forced herself to stay calm and not raise to his bait. She had a plan after all. Even if the outcome was more than uncertain.

"Don't _worry_ , Malfoy. My voice is perfectly normal again. You know, hot milk with honey really does work wonders."

" _Worry_ ," the Slytherin spat. "Who said anything about being worried? Are you dreaming?"

 _Not at the moment,_ Haley thought, biting back a grin, _If you only knew_.

"Brought me a snack, did you?" Malfoy remarked, glancing toward the blueberry cupcake in her right hand.

"Actually, I did," she retorted, her voice sounding much more confident than she felt. "Here." She held out her hand, the cupcake sitting in the middle of her palm.

For a second, there was confusion crossing over the boy's features. But before long it was replaced with a mocking grin. "You need to try harder if you're trying to make me laugh."

"I'm not. This is for you," Haley said, the words sounding wrong addressed to the Slytherin. "It's a peace offering." She added when the boy simply stared at her.

He snorted, tilting his head to the side. "A peace offering?" He scoffed disbelievingly. Haley nodded.

"If you really think a lousy muffin is going to stop me from messing with you, you're much more deluded than I would have given you credit for." He taunted her, raising a mocking brow. "Do you really think I'd accept food from you after the little incident with the treacle tart yesterday? If I didn't know you were so foolishly soft-hearted, I might accuse you of trying to poison me."

Huh? What was that? If Haley had been more focused on the words he was saying – which she absolutely wasn't – she wouldn't have noticed the almost warm tint in the boy's voice when he had talked about her _soft heart_. Had she just imagined that?

"It's not poisoned, I swear," she assured him, storing away the sound of his voice for later. There were more important things at hand.

"I'll try it for you," she offered, breaking a small piece off and throwing it in her mouth. It was a really good cupcake. Almost too good for Malfoy. No. _Definitely_ too good for him. "See? Still alive," she informed him with a grin.

The boy snorted. But he snatched the treat out of her hand nevertheless. Was this a good sign?

The Slytherin inspected the cupcake from all sides. "What else are you offering?" He drawled lazily. She had to suppress a yawn at the sight of him. Wait? What? Offering? She furrowed her brows.

Malfoy sighed. "You know, in order for me to leave you alone you're offering me this… _muffin_ and… what else?"  
 _It's not a_ muffin _you idiot, it's a_ cupcake, she wanted to correct him but for some reason she didn't think that would help her exactly.

"If you stop bothering me I'm going to…" She made a dramatic pause for effect. Malfoy rolled his eyes. "I'm going to keep your secrets."

Malfoy's brows furrowed in confusion. "You're going to what?"

She tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Or more like… I won't tell everyone about your darkest secrets."

The Slytherin sneered at her. "Have you gone mad? What are you talking about?"

She had him. She had him now! "Oh, didn't you know," she revealed. "I have the ability to look into people's minds. You know, mind-reading, legillimency… whatever you'd like to call it." She grinned, feeling like one of her brother's cats, after getting a mountain of cream.

The boy seemed to consider her for a moment. Then he chuckled to himself. "Yeah right." He spread out his arms in a gesture, suggesting an invitation. "Let's hear it then. Let's hear one of the scandalous things you have seen in my mind," he challenged. This was the moment. Should she tell him that she knew about his crush right now? Or would it be better to start with something smaller?

"I…" She started, trying to recollect something interesting from his dreams. "I know… your favourite drink."

"Oh, really now," he scoffed. "That's nothing you couldn't have found out through watching me."

"Hot chocolate. With a teaspoon of Firewhiskey," she said triumphantly.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her. "That's not… who have you been talking to?"

Haley shrugged. "Told you I could read minds."

"As if," the Slytherin sneered. "You're merely a disgusting snoop."

"Fine. I'll tell you another secret." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Malfoy nodded his chin at her expectantly. Was it time for the big reveal now? Or was it better to wait? She couldn't even prove her assumptions about him… He would never admit she was right. Not even if she really _was_ right, which she wasn't even sure about in the first place.

"You're secretly a fan of the _Weird Sisters_. Even put up a huge poster, am I right?" she said, settling for something less scandalous.

"Me? A fan of the _Weird Sisters_? I haven't heard anything this funny in ages." The boy replied with a laugh but Haley could swear that there was a flush of pink rising up his throat.

"You want to hear another secret?" The Gryffindor taunted.

"No." Malfoy answered a bit too quickly. Was he scared what else she might know about him? "It's late, Potter, and frankly you've wasted enough of my time." He seemed tired all of a sudden. And slightly irritated. When he took a step in her direction Haley wanted to move backwards but she couldn't because of the wall behind her.

"Don't come closer," she warned, holding up her hand.

Malfoy stopped but there was an ugly grin on his face. "You can have your peace offering back," he drawled, glancing at the cupcake in his hand. "This is what I think of it."

Before she could do anything to stop it, the Slytherin raised his hand and squashed the cupcake against her forehead, smearing it all over her hair. Haley closed her eyes and balled her shaking hands to fists. She wanted to _scream_. But she had the feeling that would only amuse him further.

Malfoy chuckled. "What a shame. Now you've wasted such a lovely _cupcake_ ," he taunted, almost sounding sad. Haley opened her eyes, glaring at him, only to see that he was plopping a stray blueberry into his mouth. "Mm, blueberries," he remarked, not the slightest bit bothered by her glare.

"You're disgusting," she growled lowly. Her skin felt taut like a bowstring that was stretched almost to the point of breaking. If he did one more thing, she knew she was going to snap.

Suddenly all the amusement vanished from the boy's face. He seemed unusually serious like he was endlessly tired in that moment.

"You think _this_ is disgusting?" He questioned. Then his gaze hardened to grey steel. "Trust me, you don't want to find out just how disgusting I _can_ be. A piece of advice, Potter: Don't stick your pretty little nose where it doesn't belong."

With that he turned away from her and strode down the hall. Haley watched him vanish behind the next corner with her mouth gaping open. These last words Malfoy had said had made three things irrevocably clear.

One, whether he had a crush on her or not the boy was definitely hiding something.

Two, he was incredibly afraid that she or anyone else might find out about his secret.

And three, if she found out what he was hiding and could actually prove it, she had him. He would never dare to harass her again. A grin spread slowly across her face. It seemed like she had to go visit the dream corridor again tonight.

 **...ooo...**

"Aaaaahhhhh!" Simon hits the red punching bag with an ear-splitting scream. He varies between his right and left fist as he punches the innocent bag again and again. "Aaaaahhhhhh!"

With a final scream, he stops and sinks against it. There is the face of a familiar boy pinned to the red fabric. Baz, Simon's raven-haired quidditch rival.

"Are you done tormenting that poor punching bag?" I ask my brother, while I'm lounging on his bed lazily.

"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him so much!" Simon replies, punching the punching bag one last time, before tearing off his boxing gloves and throwing himself on the bed. So, basically on top of me. "Get off, you klutz."

"Humph," says Simon, not moving an inch. Rolling my eyes, I shove him off me and sit up against the headboard.

"What's wrong, dearest brother?" I ask after a moment. He mumbles something unintelligible into his pillow.

"I don't speak gibberish," I reply impatiently.

My brother lifts his curly head from his pillow and says. "I said, I don't wanna talk about it." Then he buries his face in the pillows again.

Well, then. I asked. If he doesn't want to tell me, it's not my problem. I sigh. "Hey Simon?" I ask after a while.

"Hm?" He mumbles softly.

"Do you think… do you think it's okay to reveal someone's secrets if the person has been a real jerk to you?"

"Hm?" He sounds like he might be frowning. I sigh again.

"You know, if the person really deserves it, would it be so wrong to reveal an embarrassing secret about him? To.. to get back at him?"

Simon suddenly lifts his head up again and stares at me angrily. "No. It's not okay!" His blue eyes look suspiciously wet. Has he been crying?

"It's not okay to reveal other people's secrets. It's _not_ okay! Okay?" He sits up as well, his chin is wobbling slightly. "Is that what you think I should do to Baz? Revealing one of his secrets because he blabbed one of mine? I don't even know anything useful about him!"

"Is that why you've been this angry? Baz found out something embarrassing about you?" Now the picture on the punching bag actually makes sense.

"I – well, he – ugh," my brother stammers, hiding his face in his hands. That poor child makes a mess of his words on his best days. I wonder where he gets it from.

"So, quidditch." He tries again. "I confused Baz' bag with mine. He took my bag and found my diary. And then… I told him to give it back but he didn't want to. So, we fought about it and then it fell to the ground."

"And then?"

"Well, I… he picked it up and read the stupid page out loud..."

"So?"

"It was a poem," Simon mumbles lowly, obviously embarrassed.

"A poem. That's scandalous," I reply mockingly.

"Well, I – it was a poem I wrote… about… about Agatha."

"Agatha?" The name sounds vaguely familiar. Is she one of Simon's friends? He nods without looking at me.

"I still don't see why you're this upset. Is your poem that bad? Do you think he's going to tell her about it?"

"Agatha already knows!" My peace-loving brother exclaims. "She was there. She – she heard all about how much I like her hair and her laugh and her lovely eyes and her-"

"Hold on a second," I interrupt him. "You've got a crush on this girl?"

Simon nods like it's something that should have been obvious. Which it kind of was now that I think about it. Wow, my little brother's first crush… I have to record that somewhere.

"And she knows about it because Baz read the poem you wrote about her out loud?"  
Another nod.

"And now you're heartbroken because she rejected you?" I ask sympathetically.

Simon shakes his head. "She didn't reject me."

"Then what-"

"I ran away before either of them could say another word," he admits sheepishly.

I can't help it. The mental image makes me chuckle. "Simon. Why would you run away? I'm sure it would have been fine-"

"You don't _understand,"_ he interrupts me again. "Those words were private. They belonged to no one but _me._ He didn't have the right – I never wanted her to find out like that. It felt so awful to have her find out like that. I wanted to tell her myself and… in my own time. Now I can't do that any more." He finishes with a sad pout that tears at my heart. What can I say to make him feel better?

"She's never going to talk to me again. Probably won't even invite me to her birthday party," he whines.

"Simon." I say gently, taking his hand. "I'm sure she'll still talk to you. And if she doesn't then she's not worth your time anyway."

"B-but I _like_ her. So, so _much_." Simon argues passionately. I try not to roll my eyes. My little brother is barely ten years old and already thinks he's in love. It's kind of adorable.

"I know. Just talk to her. I'm sure she'll understand. If you like her so much she has to be somewhat kind at the least, am I wrong?"

Simon shakes his head, but there is still a sad tinge to his wide blue eyes. "I just wish it could have been my own decision… telling her, you know?"  
I nod absently.

"If I ever find out about the girl Baz likes, I should do the same to him," he grumbles, contradicting his own words from before. "Or maybe I'll just pretend to. That way I won't have to sink to his level." He glares at the picture that is pinned to his red punching bag darkly. For a second, I wonder if it's really that gratifying to punch the stupid bag. I imagine Malfoy's face pinned to it instead of Baz'.

"You want to try punching that, too?" Simon asks as he notices my gaze.

"No, I…" Suddenly I wonder how much time I might have left before waking up. "I – I need to go to the bathroom," I make up quickly.

"Oh, okay," Simon sounds disappointed. "Could you bring me some ice cream on your way back?"

"Sure," I reply, while getting up. I'm sure he'll forget about the ice cream in a moment anyway. I drop a light kiss onto his curly head and whisper, "You should write your sister from time to time." Hopefully, he'll remember _this_.

Then I slip out of his room and find myself in a hall with familiar doors. The dream corridor is deserted as always. Closing the door behind myself, I turn left and walk down the hall until I reach the door with the _Weird Sisters_ poster on it. What might be waiting behind it tonight?

After I played the guitar solo, Myron Wagtail nods in a satisfied way and I open the door. I don't enter right away, though. I need a disguise… But whose face should I wear this time? An image of my mum as a fairy appears in my mind. That's it! I'm going to try turning myself into a tiny little fairy. Mum had been as small as my thumb hadn't she? So maybe it's enough if I imagine myself to be as small as… my palm! My eyes are closed tightly and once I open them again everything around me seems frighteningly huge. It worked!

I slip through the door that magically closes behind me. The room is barely lit and all around me are tall silhouettes that must be furniture. They look like beds. Is this a dorm room? The disadvantage of being small is that my fairy feet are small too and it takes ages to get from one point to another. I can't even see much from down here.

Wings would be handy by now. I close my eyes and imagine big wings to appear on my back. Not the dragon wings that I saw on mum the other night but brightly coloured butterfly wings. I open my eyes and look at my back. My wings are beautiful!

Now, I only need to figure out how to fly. It looked so easy when mum did it. I concentrate hard on fluttering my wings and lifting my delicate body from the ground. Nothing happens. I try again, flapping my arms up and down for good measure. But just like that time when I tried to fly with Hedwig it simply won't work. I growl in frustration. Why doesn't it work? Fine, I don't need wings. I can just walk.

I stomp past the bed that is currently blocking my view only to find a strange sight awaiting me. Draco Malfoy, lying on his bed in his pyjamas. What a sight. He's lying on his stomach with his feet dangling in the air and there in his hands… is a cupcake. A blueberry cupcake. He's just looking at it with a – dare I say it? – giddy smile on his face.

A surprised gasp slips out of my mouth. It's not loud. And he definitely shouldn't have heard it. But somehow he did as it seems. (Maybe because this is a dream?) The boy turns his head, looking for the source of the noise.

"Who's there?" He asks. The room seems to be empty beside the two of us. I quickly hide behind the nearest bedpost but too late. He already spotted me.

"Oh, just a butterfly," he mumbles and turns back to his cupcake again. His lips are moving but I can't hear what he says from my spot. I need to get closer.

Then an idea strikes me. A broomstick! I'm sure I could fly with a broomstick. As soon as the idea crosses my mind a broom the size of a toothpick appears on the ground next to me. Merlin, I'm so _brilliant_. Sticking out my arm over the broom, I whisper "Up," and it zooms up into my hand. I mount the broom with familiar ease and as I rise into the air I pat my shoulder for being so smart.

Without making a noise, I land on the foot of Malfoy's bed next to his legs. His mumbling is still too quiet to understand. I uncomfortably feel like a mouse trying to steal past a sleeping cat. He looks like a _giant_. Then, when I have almost reached his shoulder I notice the pattern of his green pyjama top. There are _kittens_ all over it. And they're _moving_. I try to stifle a laugh but I can't manage it. Malfoy turns his head toward me, his eyes are like two moons and they're full of suspicion.

"You're not a butterfly after all," he mutters. Then he sits up swiftly, crossing his legs underneath him. His nimble fingers pick me up by the back of my shirt. Oh, the humiliation.

"Are you a fairy?" He asks, inspecting me closely. Doesn't he realise who I am?

"Put me down!" I demand, struggling to get free. He raises his other hand and drops me onto his palm.

"You look like my Haley," he whispers, a soft smile on his lips. _My_ _Haley_? I send him the darkest glare I'm capable of.

He chuckles. "Funny. Now you even glare at me like she always does." I cross my arms in front of my chest.

"But you know…" Malfoy's eyes flick to the side in a way that seems almost shy. "She gave me a present today. A blueberry cupcake." He says it like it's a secret and nervously chews his lips. "I think she might like me," he whispers and his whole face starts to glow with a childlike happiness that makes me think of my little brother. It's adora–

What in Merlin's name did I just almost think about Draco Malfoy? I have to stop myself from actually gagging.

"You know, it would be nice if you were the real Haley, then I could thank her..." He admits.

Did I hear that right? Malfoy? _Thank_ me? I don't think I can pass up that opportunity.

In a split second I imagine being big again. For a second I see my body growing bigger and bigger, reminding me of Alice in Wonderland who ate a cake and grew until her arms reached out the windows and her head burst through the roof… Fortunately, my body stops growing once I've reached my original size.

That's one thing I would have never imagined. Me sitting on Draco Malfoy's bed in his dorm room next to him. I suppress a shudder.

"You wanted to thank me?" I say in a casual tone, not even looking at him.

"Oh," the boy says dumbly. "Is – is it really you?" He asks, sounding confused.

"Of course, why wouldn't-" From the corners of my eyes I notice him gesturing at something behind me. Oh right. I've still got my butterfly wings.

"What? You've never noticed them before?" I say arrogantly, rolling my eyes.  
Malfoy shakes his head, his eyes are so wide, they might pop. He bites his lips again. "Can I touch them?" He asks. He deserves a slap for such an incredulous suggestion.

"No," I reply, narrowing my eyes to slits. He seems disappointed. At least that's what his pout seems to say.

"Why not?" He asks petulantly, his fingers crawling across the blanket toward me. Why does he even want to touch my stupid wings? It's not like they are made of silk or anything. His eyes are full of curiosity as they flick all over my extra limbs. If he wants to so bad… Suddenly I'm struck with an amazing idea.

"Fine," I relent. "You can touch them." Malfoy raises his hand eagerly. I hold up my own hand like a shield. "But first… you have to tell me a secret," I whisper, leaning closer to him. "Something you've never told anyone else before."

The boy watches me for a long moment. Then he snorts, looking away. "All right. I'll tell you a secret," he agrees. Wonderful. This is going better than I imagined! "But in return for that…" he looks back at me, a smirk splitting his face in two. "I get a kiss."

I'm pretty sure my heart just stopped. He can't be serious, right? He can't be…

I chuckle hysterically. "That's ridiculous, I'm sure we can agree on something else…" I babble. But the boy shakes his head and crosses his arms in front of his chest. "Those are my conditions."

What a sly fox. I shouldn't have underestimated him.

"Fine," I find myself agreeing, forcing a grin on my face that probably looks like a grimace. The boy smirks back at me in an annoyingly smug way, before placing his hand on my shoulder and leaning uncomfortably close to me. I push his face away and clamp my lips together.

"First the secret," I say, already regretting my mindless decision. _It's okay, it's just a dream_ , I try to reason with myself. _He won't remember it anyway_. No… but _I_ will.

Malfoy sighs impatiently. "Well, what do you want to know?" He asks indecisively.

"Surprise me," I reply with a shrug. He seems to think for a moment.

"I know!" The boy exclaims then, surprising me so much that I almost fall off his bed. "I'm allergic to strawberries," he blurts out like it's something exciting rather than… well kind of sad. Strawberries are so delicious!

"What kind of secret is that?" I ask, frowning in disappointment.

"It's something I've never told anyone before." He sounds almost proud. "And now, I believe you owe me a kiss."

The boy's grey eyes are gleaming with mirth, before he closes them and puckers his lips slightly. This time I actually do shudder. I can't do it. He can't seriously expect me to _kiss him_! His eyes are still closed… Maybe it's enough if I kiss him very lightly and definitely not on the mouth. _You can do this, Haley. You gave him your word. You can do this!  
_

Sucking in a deep breath, I lean in and quickly touch my lips to his cheek. There, I've done it. Before Malfoy gets the chance to turn this into a real kiss I turn my head and look away.

"That wasn't a kiss," the boy complains. "That wasn't even a peck."

"You never mentioned what kind of kiss you wanted!" I fire back, still feeling terribly embarrassed. For a moment we both stare at each other angrily.

"You broke your word. That wasn't a real kiss," he finally says with a glare.

"Well, that's all you get for such a lousy secret!" I retort hotly.

"So, if I tell you something better you'll give me a real kiss?" He asks, twisting my words.

"I might."

"Yes or no?"

"Fine!" I spit, cursing myself for giving into his childish demands.

A delighted smile lights up the boy's face. "Wonderful," he says. Then he looks up at the canopy of his bed, appearing to think.

"It doesn't count if you make it up," I grumble in annoyance.

"I'm thinking, don't interrupt," he replies, not even sparing me a glance. I feel like a trapped animal in this stupid dormitory. And the most stupid thing is I'm the one who trapped myself in the first place.

"I think, I've got something," Malfoy says, after a short silence. He looks nervous. Is it something embarrassing?

"What is it?" I ask eagerly. Hopefully he doesn't notice it.

"So...it's a bit embarrassing…" he begins, biting his lips. "I kind of like the _Weird Sisters._ "

"Doesn't count, I already knew that," I reply dryly.

"That's not the secret…" He argues. "Actually… well I'm sure you can't guess my favourite _Weird Sisters_ song?"  
When has this turned into a guessing game and why wasn't I informed?

I sigh. "That's easy. It's 'Do the Hippogriff'," I answer.

Malfoy smirks at me. "Wrong," he says. I get the feeling he's enjoying this immensely. This is weird. I was so sure it would be that song.

"This is stupid. Just tell me." Honestly, I just want to know his stupid secret. Malfoy drops his gaze to his fingers.

"You know, I actually… wanted to show you."

Show me? Is there a CD player hiding beneath his pillows? But the boy only sends me a boyish little smile and gets up from his bed. A moment later the scenery changes completely. The beds are gone and we find ourselves in a huge meadow.

It appears to be night but the sky is alight with countless twinkling stars and fairy lights. And by fairy lights I mean _actual_ fairies that are glowing in all imaginable colours. Floating in between are fireflies and somewhere close by I hear crickets chirping. It's beautiful. And oddly romantic. But I would never admit that out loud.

A few metres in front of me two lanterns illuminate a bar stool that's placed in between them. And from the left Malfoy marches past me, heading toward the stool. In his hands he carries the acoustic guitar I've already seen, leaning outside his dream door. Is that what he meant by showing it to me? He wants to play the song for me? The boy takes a seat on the bar stool, slings the guitar strap across his shoulder and looks up at me with a shy grin.

It's weird just standing there, while he's sitting down. Just as I think this, an armchair appears next to me that I promptly sink into. A single strum down the strings alerts me to the boy in front of me. He plays a few chords, his gaze fixed on his left hand, before launching into a familiar intro.

Isn't that…? I probably know every significant _Weird_ _Sisters_ song. And this one is not an exception. What surprises me is that… it's a ballad.

" _And dance_ ," the boy sings, accompanying his voice with lingering chords. " _Your final dance_."  
The slow pace of the song really complements his voice that still sounds closer to a boy's than a man's. More youthful and soft than deep and husky.

 _"This is  
Your final chance."  
_ _  
_He continues to sing. This is already the second time he's sung to me... He's still not looking up from his fingers though. I'm still wondering why this is supposed to be his favourite song. Or was that a lie? _  
_  
 _"To hold  
The one you love."_

At the end of this verse a fairy plucks some of the strings, adding a lovely melody. Woah. I want a fairy like that, too!

 _"You know you've waited  
Long enough."_

After singing that last part, the boy finally looks up from the guitar and right at me.

 _"So believe  
That magic works"_

Right, that's what the song is called. _Magic Works_. Am I imagining this or did I just see a flash of sadness cross over his features? And didn't his voice catch? For some reason I feel goosebumps running up my arms.

 _"Don't be afraid  
Of being hurt"_

Or was he simply lost in his thoughts for a second?

 _"Don't let  
This magic die"_

Now the singing is filled with renewed passion. I'm probably reading too much into this.

 _"The answer's there  
Oh, just look in her eyes"_

With this last line, he gets up and hands his guitar to someone behind him that has just appeared out of nowhere. It's Myron Wagtail! My dear friend! I barely stop myself from waving at him. Like the professional he is, he seamlessly continues the song where Malfoy left off.

" _And make_ ," he sings, while the blond walks straight toward me. " _Your final move._ "  
He stops in front of me, his eyes never straying from mine.

"Dance with me," he says but it sounds more like a question. What does he think he's doing?

 _"Mmm, don't be scared"_

He reaches for my wrist and pulls me up by the hand.

" _She wants you, too_ ," Myron sings and I want to yell, _No, she doesn't_!

"It's like the Yule Ball..." Malfoy mutters as he walks a few steps backwards, pulling me with him. "I still remember you... slow-dancing to that song," he reminisces. "With another boy." He seems annoyed at his own words and a little… jealous?

 _"Yeah, it's hard…"_

"I watched you the whole night," he admits quietly. "And then hearing that song..." he chuckles darkly. "It seemed to be mocking me."

"Mocking you?" I ask quietly.

"Yes," he replies. "I've always liked the song but sometimes… I really hate it." There is definitely something in his eyes. Something sad… or even _pained_. "I just wanted to dance with you," he's almost pleading now. "Just _once_."  
The intensity in his eyes nearly takes my breath away. Maybe that's why I'm not shrugging his hand off mine.

" _You must be brave_ ," Myron continues to sing, it almost seems like he's cheering him on.

"Why didn't you?" I ask foolishly. I'm not even sure what exactly I'm _asking_. And _why_.

"I couldn't. I – I wasn't brave enough," he whispers, frowning slightly.

 _"Don't let this moment slip away"_

What the heck? Now, Myron is _definitely_ cheering him on! There is a determined glimmer in Malfoy's grey eyes now that rivals the stars around us.

"Dance with me," he repeats simply, hopefully. I don't answer. But I don't protest either when he interlaces our fingers and slips his left arm around my waist.

 _"Now believe  
That magic works"_

As the chorus repeats in the background, I try to make sense of the situation I'm currently in. Why in Merlin's name did I think it was a good idea to dance with him?

"You looked so beautiful," the boy whispers dreamily. "In your green dress robes… and with those lovely flowers in your hair."

I gape at him speechlessly. How on earth does he remember this so well? And then, as if there had been magic in his voice I see my shirt and jeans turn into the dress robes I wore that night. And my long auburn hair flows across my shoulder in an artfully messed up braid that's adorned with little snowdrops.

"Just like this," he says with a warm smile. Did I just describe his smile as _warm?_ I should take to my heels and run. _Now_.

 _"Don't be afraid  
Afraid of being hurt"_

I don't know who I'm more annoyed with. Myself, Malfoy or the stupid song. I liked this song once! Funnily, Malfoy is wearing dress robes now as well. Are we re-enacting the Yule Ball now? With him as my date instead of Neville? This is so messed up.

"Beautiful," the boy breathes again and suddenly I'm reminded of Neville for real. Isn't this the same way that Neville used to look at me? Affectionate and… loving? But no… there's something different in his sparkling grey eyes. Something… that's not necessarily bad.

 _"No, don't let  
This magic die"_

"Isn't it funny?" The boy asks, as he waltzes around the meadow with me. It doesn't seem to bother him that my arm hangs limply at my side instead of resting on his shoulder.

"What?" I grumble moodily. I'm desperately trying to come up with a plan to turn this around and squeeze some more secrets out of him.

He chuckles to himself. "I've been dreaming of this for so long… and now you're finally here… in my arms."

"You dreamed of this?" I reply mockingly. It's so sad that he can't appreciate the irony.

He nods. "In my imagination I go back to that night and dance with you and hold your hand and-"

"And?" It's probably the most stupid thing I could have asked. But there is this weird electric tension in the air that makes me almost doubt that this is a dream. It feels too real. Too intimate. The dark night… the fireflies… the music… the dancing…

 _"Oh, the answer's there  
Yeah, just look in her eyes"_

His grip on my waist tightens almost imperceptibly. Then he takes a deep breath, his eyes boring into mine. "And I look into your impossibly green eyes…" he pauses, looking back and forth between my eyes like he's searching for something. "And then I do this," he whispers, before pulling me against him and leaning down to kiss me.

And leaning down to kiss me…

Kiss me…

 _Kiss_ me?

No, that's not possible. Malfoy can't kiss me! Why would he? But this feels like a kiss. And now his other arm is wandering down to my waist, pulling me closer…  
With all the will power that's still hiding somewhere in my body I reach for his chest and push hard.

 _"And don't believe that magic can die  
No, no, no, this magic can't die"_

Myron belts out this line with a passion that seems more than appropriate for the situation. Malfoy is breathing hard and his eyes are wide as they stare down at me, filled with a sudden realisation.

"So it was a dream after all," he says with a resigned smile. "Knew it was too good."

One look at the fading colours tells me that my time is up. He is about to wake up.

 _"So, dance  
Your final dance"_

Myron sings, while I frantically look for the dream door. The fairies and the fireflies are already gone. Damn it. I don't want to be stuck in here again!

Malfoy's body is translucent now. "I don't want to wake up. Stay," he pleads, reaching out his hand toward me. Then I notice it. Something flickering around his wrist. A watch. But that watch looks suspiciously like… a door? Of course! I was only as big as his thumb when I came here. So, maybe that's why the door is so small?

 _"Cause this is  
Your final chance"_

The song ends as I take the boy's hand and will myself to be tiny enough to fit through the door that's disguised as a watch. The hand that I've been holding just a second earlier is dissolving to nothing now. My seeker reflexes make me reach for the door handle, just as it begins to tumble down as well. Even the door is fading now. I tear it open mid-fall and hurl myself through it with the last bit of strength that's left in me. Although I heavily land in a heap on the floor of the dream corridor, I'm immensely relieved. Who knows for how long I would have been stuck in the nothingness of Malfoy's not-dream this time?

A tall shadow falls over me. I barely muster up the energy to look up.

"What are you sitting on the ground for?" The little girl with the white hair and feather dress asks in confusion.

"Hedwig?" I ask stupidly. I'm still not all there.

The girl rolls her eyes at me. "Didn't we establish that last time? What are you doing on the floor?" She asks again impatiently. I look down at myself. "I fell." I say in a small voice.

"Get up then," she suggests pointedly. I blink up at her like I'm the owl instead of her. With a sigh she grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet.

"Humans," she mumbles, before fixing me with an inquisitive look. "Have you found what you've been looking for?" She asks, looking like an ordinary curious little child.

"I..." I begin to say but I don't really know what to tell her. "Should we really talk about this here?" I question instead, gesturing toward the whole corridor. Hedwig looks at me briefly before grabbing my arm again and pulling me down the hall.

"Where are we-?" I protest weakly. A little girl shouldn't be this _strong_. We end up in front of my brother's dream door.

"But I've already been there tonight."

Hedwig ignores me. I think I like her much more as an owl. She opens the door, causing the little bell above it to chime and pulls me into Simon's dream.

"Hey, did you bring the ice cream?" My brother asks, from his spot on the bed. Did he even change his position? The door falls shut behind us and Hedwig turns to me once more.

"So?" She asks, clucking her tongue like she sometimes does when she wants another owl treat.

I wish she wouldn't ask. I'm so confused. I haven't even made sense of all the images and emotions that are swirling around in my mind.

"I think," I say at last. "I might have found out his secret." My face heats up and I have to avert my eyes.

"Whose secret?" Simon asks, looking over toward us skeptically.

"And?" Hedwig presses, gripping my arm and searching my face. I can't really escape her eyes since she's shorter than me.

"It's like we suspected." I reply, my voice sounds like it's coming from far away. "I think – no, I'm pretty sure actually… That he-" I stop myself. I can't say it. Saying it would make it real.

"That he?" Hedwig echoes, her eyes morphing into bird's eyes momentarily.

"That he's in lo- that he has feelings for me. Non-platonic feelings," I whisper, trying to make it sound as meaningless as possible.

The girl blinks up at me, owlishly. Then she shakes her head like she disagrees.

"You thought _that_ was the big secret?" She asks incredulously. For such a little girl, she is surprisingly intimidating.

"I-it's not?" For a moment I'm flooded with a strong feeling of relief and a tiny hint of disappointment. I chalk it up to hurt pride. "You mean he's not… into me?"

Hedwig throws her arms up in frustration. "Of course he's into you. Even a mole would see that."

"Then what-?" I ask but the answer is right there in front of me. "There's something else," I realise, glancing at Hedwig in astonishment. "You know what it is. Tell me!"

She grins at me cheekily. "I told you, if you want to know the secret, you need to find it out yourself," is all that she says.

"But-" I protest. I don't get why she won't just tell me.

"What does she mean by that, Haley? Are you trying to expose someone's secrets?" Simon interrupts angrily. "But we talked about this! How could you do this to me? I thought you were my sister!"

The look of disappointment and betrayal on my brother's face almost breaks my heart. I turn to Hedwig for help. But the room is empty except for me and Simon. Typical. Throwing a bomb in front of my feet and then leaving me alone with it. I would give anything if I could finally wake up now. It feels like I've been dreaming for hours. Although I've technically been sleeping I've rarely felt this tired in my life.

…

* * *

A/N: I need to stop writing these freakishly long chapters. It takes forever to edit them! Anyway, I really like this chapter. It might be one of my favourites :) What did you think of it? Are you tired of Draco's antics yet? Do you want to be serenaded by him, too? And the most important question of all... what do you think Draco might be hiding besides his more or less obvious crush?

Let me know what you think!

Thank you so much for reading! Feather :)


	9. The Girl Who Was On Fire

**9 – The Girl Who Was On Fire**

" _Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight."  
― Phyllis Diller _

_..._

Hermione was eyeing her suspiciously again over breakfast. Did Haley look as tired as she felt?

"Haley, is something bothering you? You keep frowning and stabbing at your food."

She looked up at her friend, carefully avoiding to glance toward the Slytherin table. Why would anything bother her? Apart from the fact that bloody Malfoy apparently had a crush on her? Or that the only manner in which he seemed to know how to deal with his feelings was to make her life a living hell. Or that she kept visiting him in his dreams to find out what he was hiding. Or that he had actually gone and _kissed_ her in the dream he had last night. Haley shuddered at the memory.

"I don't get boys!" She exclaimed in frustration. "I mean, if you have a crush on someone why on earth would you treat them like they are the dirt underneath your fingernails? It doesn't make sense!"

Hermione looked at her in astonishment. "What?" She asked, putting her tea cup down. "Who are you talking about?"

"You would think they would try to make you _like_ them. Not _despise_ them!"

"But – who?"

"So, what do I _do_ now?" Haley asked without reacting to Hermione's questions.

Her friend looked at her like she wasn't quite sure whether to put up with her petulant behaviour or whether to call her out on it.

She sighed. "What is it you want? Do you want him to ask you out or –"

"Merlin, no!" Haley shuddered again.

Hermione was visibly trying to be patient. "Then what–?"

"I just want it to stop. I just want to be left alone and never have to deal with all of this again!" She blurted, hiding her face in her hands. She didn't know why this bothered her so much. She felt out of her depth, like she was slowly losing control… That stupid, stupid dream! She should never have let it come to that.

"Oh." Hermione said softly, looking as if it all made sense suddenly. "You're not talking about Malfoy, are you?" She whispered into Haley's ear so nobody else could hear her.

"Do you seriously believe that git likes anyone but himself?"

"You have a point there but–"

"But nothing. Tell me what I'm supposed to do!" Deep down Haley knew that she was behaving like a spoiled brat and that it wasn't her friend's fault that she was having a hard time. But right this moment she just needed to let out her tangled up emotions and unfortunately Hermione was the one on the receiving end.

Hermione shook her head at her as if she couldn't believe they were actually friends. "Well," she started, fixing her with a stern glance. "If someone acts like an unreasonable and insufferable brat, my suggestion would be to call them out on their behaviour and not let them lash out on you for no particular reason."

Haley couldn't shake the feeling that Hermione was actually addressing _her_. Guiltily, she looked down at her slice of pumpkin bread.

"So, you think I should confront him?" Haley said, trying for an apologetic tone.

"If it bothers you this much," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "But who are we talking about anyway? And how do you even know he has a crush on you?"

Haley was saved from answering these questions by Angelina Johnson who appeared behind her and urged her to finish up because she wanted to start practising.

"Let's go, Ron," the auburn-haired girl called to her friend who had been concerned with eating breakfast during their conversation. "See you later, Hermione."

"We're not done with that conversation!" Her friend called, as she turned to follow her captain out of the Great Hall. Haley waved at her over her shoulder but didn't reply. If she was lucky Hermione would be too busy with one of their many assignments to even notice her and Ron returning.

…

Quidditch was not Haley's favourite pass time, if she was honest. It was mostly her brother and her dad who were the quidditch fanatics in her family. But there had been a free spot as Seeker in her first year, and everyone always said what a fantastic Seeker James Potter had been and that surely she would have inherited his talent… So, just like everyone expected she had tried out, coincidentally caught the snitch and had been accepted without further questions. Since then, no one had dared kicking her off the team, not even on her worse days.

To be fair, she had a surprisingly high rate of actually catching the snitch. To say, the girl knew how to use her strengths to her advantage was an understatement. Most of the time, she closely observed the other Seekers and once they caught sight of the winged gold ball, she chased behind them, in attempt to be the first to reach it. Thanks to her godfather making sure, she always had the latest racing broom she never had trouble catching the snitch first. It was almost too easy. It was even easier when they played against Hufflepuff or Slytherin, because then she could also use her natural charm to distract the male Seekers. It worked especially well with the third-year who was currently replacing Malfoy. Sadly, the same couldn't be said about Cho Chang, who was the Seeker for Ravenclaw.

Flying, on the other hand, was a different matter. Haley had barely been able to walk, before her dad had sat her on a children's broom. It had only been able to soar a few inches above the ground but as she had grown older she had regularly gone on trips with her dad and Sirius, where they had engaged in broom races and other games, involving flying. Even if Haley wasn't much of a quidditch fan, she still cherished these memories of her childhood adventures up in the air. And after all of the stressful events of the last weeks, feeling the wind in her hair and the winter sun warm on her face, it seemed like her worries were shrinking along with the tiny world beneath her.

Training passed like a blur. Haley wasn't really focusing on anything more than the joy of flying again. She always felt especially inspired when she was on her broom. Angelina wasn't exactly pleased. But the emergence of heavy rain clouds stopped her from being too mad. Normally, their captain would have made them continue training anyway but instead she told her team to regroup in the changing rooms for a speech on how they couldn't slack off just because they won against Hufflepuff and that she didn't want to see the Slytherins win the Cup especially because this was her last year. Her passionate speech would have made James Potter proud. Haley suppressed a grin.

Not long after the rain had started it was already letting up again. Meaning, they could continue their training session after all. They walked back onto the pitch when another team made their way toward them. The green uniforms signalled that they were Slytherins.

"Merlin, is it noon already?" Angelina asked no one in particular, watching the Slytherins approaching. "I could only book the field until noon, because someone else had already booked it for the rest of the day." Her eyes narrowed. "Guess, we know who it was now."

With a sigh the older girl picked up the quaffel that was lying in front of her. It was her own. With the signature of Gwenog Jones. "We'll continue this on Monday, then. Don't be late!" She threatened with a mad glint in her dark eyes before she marched back toward the changing rooms. Haley didn't linger before following her. She could do without meeting a certain Slytherin Seeker. It was a good thing, there were no girls on the Slytherin team. It meant she could get changed without encountering anyone from the other team.

"Hails, are you gonna take a shower?" Ron asked, clapping his hand on her shoulder before she could enter the girls changing room. She… wasn't too fond of that nickname. But growing up with a father like James and a godfather like Sirius had taught her never to show the enemy – ahem, her friends – that something annoyed her. She knew from experience that he would drop it, if she pretended not to be bothered by it. She wondered if that technique might work with Malfoy as well. Perhaps she should try it sometime?

"Yes. I won't take long, though. Just give me a minute," she answered. Her friend didn't really care whether he showered right away or later in their tower or sometimes even at all. But Haley liked feeling clean and fresh after a training session.

"Um… do you mind if I head back without you? I really don't want to miss lunch," Ron explained with a look on his watch.

"Oh. No, I don't mind. Go ahead. I don't want you to starve to death," she teased him. She did feel a tiny bit uneasy at the prospect of gong back alone. She really, _really_ didn't want to have an uncomfortable encounter with Malfoy. But that was stupid. He would be busy with training by the time she was done. Or watching the others train anyway. Haley hadn't seen him on a broomstick ever since last winter. Apparently he had some kind of injury that hindered him from flying. But in her opinion he was merely afraid of being crushed by the Gryffindor team again.

"You sure that's okay?" Ron asked. "You seemed a bit… I don't know… stressed at breakfast."

"Oh. You noticed?" She was honestly surprised that her friend had noticed anything besides his baked beans.

"Course, I noticed. Would have to be a troll not to notice that." He clapped her shoulder affectionately. Haley felt bad for underestimating her friend. "So, you okay? The Malfoy thing still bothering you? I could give him a good punch if you want."

"Well, I… I can handle it. I think." She added, thoughtlessly. She must have sounded far more uncertain than she wanted.

"You know, that thing you were planning with the gobstone. Are you still doing that? Is it working?" He asked. "You can tell me, you know? I won't tell Hermione about it."

The auburn-haired girl watched him for a moment. When had he become such a good friend? She doubted that he would be able to keep a secret from Hermione, though. He was far too smitten with her for that.

"Thanks for offering, Ron. It's a long story, though. So maybe another time? Or you'll really end up missing lunch."

"Right!" Ron looked at his watch again and shouldered his broom. "I'll save you some sandwiches. Or Hermione will. If she's not still cross with you because of this morning." He patted her arm affectionately. Then he seemed to remember something. "I'm sure, she'll forgive you if you apologise."

Haley scoffed. He was so obvious. "I'll apologise if _you_ ask her out."

"W-w-what?" He sputtered, his ears turning fire red. _That's for calling me Hails_ , she thought with a smirk.

"Don't forget the sandwiches!" She called after him, before entering the changing room and closing the door behind her.

…

After her shower, Haley quickly got dressed in a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a maroon sweater beneath her thick wine red winter coat. Her hair was piled up into an unruly bun that was still wet from the shower. With her hood in place over her head, her bag across her shoulder and her Firebolt in her hand, Haley finally left the changing rooms. The Slytherins were small green dots in the air. She sighed in relief.

Then she fetched her journal from her bag and started her walk back toward the castle. The cover was sprinkled with all kinds of colours and little drawings that she made whenever she was bored in class. Was there anything else she needed to take care of today? The words on the pages were blurry because she wasn't wearing her glasses. She had taken them off before showering. Where had she put them? She rummaged around in her bag without taking notice of where she was going.

If she had been less lucky, she would have walked right into a giant mud puddle. But as it was, a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her to the side, before she could step into it. Looking up, she only saw the blurred outlines of a face.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. She opened the side pocket of her bag, finally finding her glasses. "There they are." She placed them atop her nose, smiling at the friendly –

Malfoy. Haley almost dropped her broom into the puddle. "You?" She asked incredulously.

"You should watch where you're going," the Slytherin sneered.

"I just – I…" The Gryffindor was at a loss for words. "But you should be at practice! Or well, watching the others practise, I guess." She frowned. Why did he even bother? "And… did you just stop me from walking into a puddle? Why didn't you let me walk into it?"

The boy lifted an eyebrow. "If you must know, I was just on my way to practice. Prefects get certain privileges, but you wouldn't know that." He smirked at her mockingly. "As for the other thing…I'm not a monster. What do you think of me?" He smoothed his hand down his robes and glanced at the puddle. "Besides, if you had fallen into the puddle, you would've splashed mud all over me. I can do without that experience."

Such a smooth bastard. Haley wondered if he had made all of that up or if there was even a grain of truth to it. How was that boy so different from his dream self? In his dreams he was so open and honest with her. And in reality…? She doubted he had ever told her anything that wasn't a taunt or a lie.

What had Hermione said this morning? She should call him out on his behaviour?

"I don't get you, Malfoy," she muttered. "Do you even believe your own lies?"

"What?" The boy's smirk froze at once.

"It's so obvious you're hiding something." She felt strangely courageous all of a sudden.

"Am I now," he snorted derisively. "Everyone has their secrets if you hadn't noticed."

"I did notice actually. I also noticed something else. Usually, people don't seem too fond of the idea of having their secrets exposed. Am I wrong?" The way his expression hardened was incredibly satisfying.

"I don't know what it is you think you know about me, Potter. But let me assure you, you don't want to play this game with me." Something glinted in his eyes dangerously.

"Really? I think you're the one who doesn't want to play. Because you're afraid you'll lose." She couldn't back down now. She was close to breaking through his walls. She felt it.

"Me? Afraid of losing? Against someone who makes up stories about reading minds and knowing about other people's favourite drinks?"

Haley narrowed her eyes. Fine. He wanted her to play with the big guns? She could do that. Where would his clever remarks be, when she told him she knew he had a crush on her? A reckless feeling, she associated with all of the tales her dad always told her about his school adventures, filled her up. Was this what it felt like to be a true Gryffindor? She opened her mouth to speak… and closed it again.

Just when she toyed with the right words inside her head, the image of her brother's sad blue eyes filled her mind. _I just wish it could have been my own decision… telling her, you know?_ Why was she thinking of Simon right now? _It felt so awful to have her find out like that. I wanted to tell her myself and… in my own time._

She shook her head, trying to get rid of the memory. This was different. Why should she consider Malfoy's feelings? Did that git ever consider _her_ feelings? But the more she thought about it, she felt her resolve weaken. She was simply too soft!

 _It's not okay to reveal other people's secrets!_ , Simon had said in his dream. And she knew he was right. She sighed, focusing on the boy in front of her again. She wouldn't sink to his level. But that didn't mean she couldn't ruffle his feathers a bit.

"Pansy," she stated, startling him. "You went to the Yule Ball with her."

Malfoy lifted a questioning eyebrow.

"But she wasn't your first choice, was she?" Haley bit her lips. Silently waiting for his reaction. Would he admit it himself? It was quiet for a moment.

Then the Slytherin chuckled softly. "Obviously. That girl is almost as annoying as you," he sneered.

"You have a fondness for annoying girls, then?" Her heart was beating madly. Would he admit it now?

The expression on his face turned sour. "You're wasting my time with your nonsense, Potter." He took a step closer to her. She had to fight the urge to step backwards. "You know, I was honestly considering your peace offering but now I've changed my mind. Nobody threatens a Malfoy," he spat, taking another step toward her.

His eyes seemed to bore into her own and underneath the steely grey anger, she thought she spotted something else. Something uncertain. Something like fear.

It was impossible to imagine that this was the same boy that she had encountered in kitten-patterned pyjamas in a dream. The same boy who had serenaded and danced with her. The same boy who had seemed so shy before he had… _kissed_ her. The memory made her blush and without being able to stop it, her eyes fell on his lips. It was only for a short moment but she was sure the boy had seen it. His eyes widened and his mouth fell open in surprise. He blinked at her, a soft pinkness colouring his cheeks. Then he seemed to remember where he was. Or who he was, maybe. He hastily stepped back, and looked away from her. Then some of the anger returned to his face.

"Get out of my way," he hissed, marching past her and knocking his shoulder against hers.

Haley spun around. She wasn't going to let him off this easily. She had been so close…

"Wait!" She called, taking a step forward, but getting her feet tangled up in Malfoy's broomstick that he was carrying low in his right hand. (Why had he even brought it when he wasn't going to fly?) She lost her balance, to the right was the puddle and on top of everything her bag was slipping down her shoulder. She would fall, she would fall, she would – She sighed. Having caught her balance in the last second.

Her commotion made Malfoy turn around, his broom hitting the back of her shins and sending her right into the puddle after all. For a moment, it looked like the boy was reaching out his hand, in an attempt to grab her. But either way, he was too late.

Splashes of brown mud exploded around her, as she hit the ground hard. She registered the cold only subconsciously, clenching her eyes shut because of the embarrassment. First, she waited for the laughter. But when there was none, she dared to hope that he had left.

Opening her eyes, she saw he hadn't. Of course he hadn't. Instead he was leafing through a familiar looking journal…

" _H_ _aley Longbottom_? You're even more pathetic than I thought. Does Longbottom know you're still pining after him? _Longbottom_. What a _name_." He sounded more angry than mocking.

Haley sat up, wiped the mud from her face and glared at him. "It's a hundred times better than _Malfoy_!" She fired back hotly.

She should have known the Slytherin wasn't going to leave it at that. With an ugly scowl he hurled the journal into the puddle next to her, splashing a new wave of mud in her face. The girl screamed in frustration, hitting the puddle to create her own wave. But to her disappointment it never hit the git.

"You did this to yourself," Malfoy spat, glancing back one last time, before making his way down to the quidditch pitch.

"I hate him," Haley said to herself, refusing to watch him go. Why was she always losing to him? Why couldn't she have the upper hand for once? As she picked up her journal that was now wet and muddied and most probably ruined – her journal where she wrote down quotes and song lyrics and sketched ideas for paintings that reflected her innermost thoughts and beliefs – a sudden anger stirred inside her. She had let Malfoy push her around for so long. How much longer was she going to let him get away with it? The page was opened to a selection of song lyrics.

" _So dance your final dance  
Cause this is your final chance"_

She chuckled in disbelief. The _Weird Sisters_ song Malfoy had played for her in his dream. Maybe this was the answer. If she really managed to get to him in his dreams, then… Then what? Then everything would magically work out? She wasn't naive enough to believe that. But she had to try. If this was going to be her final chance, she at least needed to take it. That's what a true Gryffindor would do anyway.

… **ooo…**

Mum's dream door looks the same it looked the first time I stood in front of it. Painted green wood. A round window with white lilies surrounding it. And to the left, a bronze cauldron. How does her door open again? Right. I need to get the key from inside of the cauldron. As soon as my hand nears the cauldron, bright flames shoot up from it. I pull my hand back reflexively.

What did mum say? If my intentions aren't bad, the fire won't hurt me? I take a deep breath and close my eyes, reaching into the cauldron again until… I feel a cool liquid on my skin. At the bottom of the cauldron I feel dozens of keys. Which one is the right one? Should I just pick one and try it out? There is a magnetic pull that leads my fingers to a key somewhere on the left. It's warm to the touch so I close my fingers around it and pull it out of the cauldron.

I open my eyes once more. The fire is gone. And I hold the key to mum's dream door in my hands. That was easy. Hopefully it fits. I push the key into the lock and with a soft click the door opens. Phew. Cautiously, I touch the handle – no electric shocks! – and enter into my mum's dream.

The first thing I notice is steam. Clouds of steam that seem to be everywhere. I can't see anything through it.

"Mum?" I ask, using my hand like a fan to make the steam disappear. Slowly, two figures become visible. Two figures, standing in front of a huge cauldron. One with red and the other with black hair. Through the fog, I can hear soft chuckles.

"Mum?" I call again, wondering what kind of dream I have walked into.

"Haley, is that you?" My mum's voice asks, while the steam clouds are starting to drift away. I can see her now. And the figure beside her is… Professor Snape?

"Sev, would you look after the Resurgence Draught for a moment? And don't forget to add the gargoyle powder after ten stirrings." She instructs my potion professor like _she_ is the potion master.

"I know Lily, we talked about this," the professor grumbles but it doesn't sound like he's too bothered by her tone. How curious.

Mum comes into view a second later. Her hair is up in a bun and there are strands of hair hanging around her face messily. For a second I'm baffled. I know that I'm looking at my mum but she looks so… young. It's almost like looking into a mirror if it weren't for the lack of glasses on her face. And the colour of her eyes. Like hers my eyes are green but where hers seem like light grass in spring, mine are slightly darker, like moss with hints of the brown earth. They are like a combination of dad's and mum's eyes, really. And while my mum is always surrounded by an air of kindness and warmth, people always tell me, I have the same arrogant look about me as my dad.

"What brings you here, little duckling?" Mum asks with a smile. "Is everything okay?"

It's so weird seeing her like this. She looks no older than me.

"Mum, why…? Is that Professor Snape?" I ask, nodding toward the man in the back, who I now notice looks as young as mum. "And did you just call him _Sev_?"

"Oh." Mum blinks at me as if she only now realises that this might look strange to me. "We're old friends. He's working on a potion and asked me for advice." She replies. "Did you need my help with something?"

What? Old friends? My mum and my potion professor? Why do I only hear about this now? And what kind of potion are they working on? But I can't dwell on this now. There's a reason I sought my mother out.

"Mum, I… I… Can you help me look fierce and intimidating?"

"What?"

"I said, can you help me look fierce and-"

"I heard you the first time, poppet."

"Then why…?"

Mum furrows her eyebrows like she's in deep thought. "Come with me. I think I have an idea." She grabs my hand and pulls me up a staircase that I don't remember being there before. We stop in front of a door that has the name _Lily_ painted across it in vibrant colours. It looks like a bedroom door. Mum pulls me into the room behind it, which has painted walls, a small bed, a desk and a huge wardrobe on the wall to the right.

She almost bounces over to the wardrobe, pulls something from it and walks back to me.

"Try this on," Mum tells me, holding something black out to me. I'm a bit disappointed.

"I have to actually put this on?" I complain. "This is a dream. Can't you just… transform me or something?"

Mum chuckles. "You may look like me but that attitude…" She tsks. "I have nothing to do with that."

I clear my throat sheepishly and try to look apologetic.

"Fine. Close your eyes," she orders. I eagerly close my eyes. After a moment, I feel something funny on my head. It's like my hair is fuller and something tickles around my nose.

"Open your eyes."

I obediently open them, anxious for my new look.

"Ahh!" I yell at my reflection in front of me. There are whiskers on my face. _Whiskers_. And is that a mane? My head looks like a lion's head.

"Mum!" I whine, tearing at my new hair. "I look like a _lion_!"

Mum openly laughs at me. "You wanted to look intimidating and fierce," she replies with an amused grin.

I don't laugh. She seems to notice that I'm not in the mood for joking.

"Fine." She says and with a wave of her hand I'm left with my human face again. Thank Merlin.

"So," mum takes a step toward me and touches the patch of skin between my furrowed brows. My face relaxes almost instinctively. She smiles. "Why do you want to look intimidating?"

"I'm…" I sigh. I knew she would ask. "That boy I told you about. I want to… I want to confront him and… ideally I want him to feel intimidated so… so maybe he'll finally leave me alone."

Mum lifts an eyebrow, glancing into my eyes searchingly. "All right." She steps back again. "Eyes closed."

"No tricks this time," I mutter as I close my eyes once more. It takes a bit longer before she tells me to open my eyes again. When she finally does I'm in for a surprise.

The girl in the mirror is dressed in a pair of tight black pants and a blood red blouse that compliments the colour of my hair. Usually I wear my long hair in a ponytail or a braid but now it's down and framing my face in a way that is slightly wavy as it falls across my shoulders. I look confident. And fierce. Soft brown eye shadow makes my eyes look like they are on fire. And my glasses… They're gone but I can still see… Must be because I'm dreaming.

"Mum it's…" I don't find the words to express how much I like it.

"Intimidating enough? I think something's missing." Mum steps behind me and a blink later, a wide cape flows down my back. The fabric on the inside is the same shade of red as my blouse, while the outside is pitch black. I look like some kind of warrior queen. This is perfect.

"Amazing," I breathe, looking at my reflection from all sides. If this isn't going to intimidate Malfoy, I don't know what else will.

"I'm assuming that boy will either want to kiss you or–"

"Mum!" I interrupt her with a glare. "I don't want him to _kiss_ me." Not again. The first time was more than enough.

She sends me a smug grin. "Or he'll cower in fear. Either way, be sure to tell me whether it worked."

I clench my teeth, suppressing the urge to lash out at her. Even if her comments are annoying she is not the person I'm really angry at.

"I gotta go," I tell her, glancing at my reflection one last time. Then I exit the room and jump down the stairs, my cape flowing behind me giving me the boost of confidence I needed. Hidden behind a steam cloud I can still make out Professor Snape's figure. What is it they are working on? Should I try to get another glance? Maybe another time. I've got more important things to do now. So I continue walking toward the door that leads me to the dream corridor.

It doesn't take long to get to Malfoy's dream door. I play the guitar solo with a fierce edge that fits my new look but for some reason, I hesitate to actually enter. Why? Because this feels important. I don't know whether I'll have the strength to keep doing this if I don't get somewhere tonight.

"What you waiting for, Rock'n Roll Queen?" Myron Wagtail asks me. It must be my outfit. But I do prefer the title W _arrior_ _Q_ _ueen_. "I like you, you know. There's something about you that just…" The singer watches me contemplatively, waving his hands wildly like he's looking for the right words. "you know, something that…pulls the right strings. Know what I mean?" He seems content with his choice of words. I, on the other hand, have no idea what he's talking about. I want to ask but he's pulling up his own guitar, playing the intro to ' _Magic Works'_ and ignores me. After a while of me silently watching him, he looks up in confusion.

"In or out?" He asks impatiently. "I wanted to visit the poster of Gwenog Jones, you know?"

Oh. Does that mean I can't enter if he leaves? Can he even leave, when he's meant to guard the door?

"I'll go in," I decide quickly, reaching for the handle.

Myron blinks at me. I feel like there should be… _something_. A sign. Or dramatic music. But there's nothing.

"So?" The singer asks moodily.

I sigh, pulling the door open. "Wish me luck," I whisper before slipping through the door. I'm not sure he even heard me.

It takes a moment for me to recognise my surroundings. The houses that seemed so random at first, slowly become the familiar silhouettes of Hogsmeade. A giggling girl runs past me down the street. Her auburn hair is up in a ponytail and she is dressed in quidditch robes. When she looks back for a moment with a smile, I get a glimpse of her face. It's _my_ face.

"Wait for me," calls the boy, who is chasing the girl. He walks past me, without noticing me. But I recognise _him_. Malfoy. For some reason, he's also wearing his quidditch robes.

They're running down the street that leads out of town and into the woods. If I don't follow them, I'll lose them. The air is comfortably warm and the afternoon sun, leaves me feeling strangely detached from the scenery.

I close my eyes, imagining my broomstick in my hand and open them again. The merits of dreaming. On my broom, I follow the two figures and watch them from above. The girl has reached the beginning of the woods now.

"Don't be mad," Malfoy calls after the girl, wearing my face. "Maybe you'll win next time." Is he talking about quidditch?

The girl looks back with a grin, sticking out her tongue childishly. She doesn't see the tree root, sticking out of the ground. I'm not sure it's appropriate to laugh at her when she stumbles over it. Malfoy catches up with her and kneels down next to her sprawled out form.

"Are you hurt?" He asks, as he helps her up, sounding terribly worried. I clench my teeth. What a hypocrite.

My doppelgänger grimaces. "My leg. I think it's sprained."

"It'll be fine." He says and pulls the face-thief into his arms. "I'm here," he soothes, rubbing her back gently. Does he believe he can heal her with his mere presence? How can he be so gentle with her? How can he be so caring when he dreams and be a nightmare in real life?

I feel the anger stirring inside me again. It feels red and hot, like a maize kernel ready to explode. If I watch this any longer I'm afraid I'll either throw a curse at them or vomit all over my broom. It's time to make my move.

I jump down from my broomstick. My feet make the slightest of sounds when they hit the earth. Standing right behind Malfoy, I feel like some kind of super hero or villain with my cape floating dramatically behind me. It really does add a nice touch.

"How dare you!" I growl, summoning all the anger and frustration I've felt for the last months.

The boy turns around and blinks at me in surprise. "Haley?"

I take another step toward him, fixing him with a fiery glare. "How dare you stand here and comfort her when it's your fault that she's hurt in the first place?"

"Bu-but you tripped…" The boy stammers.

"Are you an idiot? I didn't trip!" I yell at him, shoving him, so he stumbles backwards. "You're the worst! You pick on me, taunt me, humiliate me! You even ruined my potion! But that's not even the worst!" I shove him again. He steps back like a puppet that doesn't have a will of its own. "The worst is that you're doing all this while at the same time you treat me like a sodding princess in your dreams. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Malfoy just gapes at me. Like he's trying to figure out what happened to the nice and giggly girl from before. Or maybe he's trying to figure out whether he is supposed to answer.

"I just don't understand how you can be this caring and nice to me and at the same time you don't give a shit about what I feel! You keep humiliating and hurting me like it's nothing to you! Like I'm some stupid little doll you can treat however you like! You're the worst!" I spit, breathing heavily. The fury just gets more intense the more I say. But it feels good. It feels so good to finally be able to tell him what I think of him. To tell him how much of a _prat_ he is. And how it makes _me_ feel.

He looks like he wants to protest. To explain perhaps. But I'm not done with him yet.

"If you ever dare dream of me again, I'll make sure you regret it." I growl, narrowing my eyes at him. "That's a promise."

I still feel like I'm going to explode any second. One of the trees behind Malfoy is starting to glow. Perhaps, it's better I go now or else I might set the whole woods on fire.

I spin around abruptly and march back in the direction of the houses. One of the doors looks like the dream door. Looks like it travelled along with us.

"Haley, wait!" Calls Malfoy, just when I'm about to touch the door handle.

I turn around, seeing the Slytherin jog toward me. I hold up my arms in front of me like a shield. Malfoy doesn't stop. A second later, red flames burst from my fingers and create a hot wall of fire between me and the boy. That makes him stop at last.

I can see the fire reflected in his eyes filled with disbelief and fear.

"Don't. Follow. Me!" I warn him, before turning away. I tear open the door and slam it behind me.

"Haley? _Haley?_ " Someone calls. For a moment I'm afraid, Malfoy has followed me after all.

I look around the corridor. But nobody's there beside me.

"Haley!"

… **ooo…**

Haley woke up with a start. The darkness around her left her disoriented and confused.

"Where am I? Where–?" She asked, fumbling for her glasses on the bedside table. They weren't there.

"Here," Hermione's voice said, and then there was something shiny in front of her. Her glasses. She took them from her friend's hands and put them on.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked. She was sitting on the bed beside her. "You were talking in your sleep. You even _screamed_. So I came to check on you."

Haley rubbed her hand across her face. "I'm fine. I… it was just a dream," she whispered, still feeling the heat of the flames all around her.

Hermione bit her lips. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Haley shook her head but reached over to squeeze her friend's arm gratefully. "It wasn't too serious. Just a silly dream." She tried to smile.

But Hermione wasn't even looking at her. Her eyes were resting on Haley's hand. Or more specifically, on the leather band that was wrapped around her wrist.

"What's that?" She asked, frowning. "Isn't that-?"

"Hm?" Haley pulled her hand away so fast, one would think she had been bitten by a snake.

"That leather band on your wrist. With the gobstone. That's Malfoy's, isn't it?"

Haley closed her eyes. She had already seen it. There was no use in denying it now. She needed a good excuse. And fast.

"Why are you wearing that?" She asked suspiciously. "No, why are you sleeping with that?"

Haley bit her lips nervously. "I…" She started to say. "It's not what it looks like?" Her statement came out like a question. Which was fitting, seeing as she didn't even know what it _might_ look like.

"What is it like, then?" Hermione waited, narrowing her brown eyes at her.

She was done for. What in Merlin's name was she supposed to say to get her friend off her back? She didn't feel like much of a warrior queen _now_.

…

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry for the cliffhanger... kind of. Anyway, this chapter was intense, there was a confrontation finally. Actually there were several confrontations. So, what do you think? Are you still guessing about Malfoy's secret? And how will that talk with Hermione go? And why does the chapter title sound so familiar? It's from the Hunger Games but I'm sure you picked up on that ;) I wanted to call the chapter _I see Fire_ first (in reference to the song) but then I thought this one fits better :)

So, as always thank you for reading and let me know what you think :)

(In case anyone's curious _being on fire_ is ' _standing in flames_ ' (orig. 'in Flammen stehen') in German. So the HG quote would be translated to something like _'The girl who was standing among the flames'_. I think it sounds really poetic xD)


	10. How to Apologize

**10 – How to Apologize**

 _"Go and get your things,' he said. 'Dreams mean work."_  
 _― Paulo Coelho, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept_

 _..._

Hermione's hazel eyes were flitting back and forth between the gobstone bracelet and Haley in suspicion. _Then what is it like?_ She had asked. The green-eyed girl didn't know how to answer.

"Don't tell me you… you've got a crush on him?" She asked hesitantly.

"Me? A crush on Malfoy? Are you insane?"

"Then why are you sleeping with this thing?" Hermione gestured toward the gobstone, that was still wrapped around her wrist.

Haley tore the leather band off her wrist, frantically shoving it into the drawer beside her bed. "It's just… you know, I've been trying to…"

She couldn't do it. She couldn't even imagine what Hermione would do if she found out she was sneaking around in other people's dreams.

"Does it have something to do with what you said earlier? That there was someone who liked you but they were treating you like the dirt beneath their fingernails?"

Haley was baffled. "How come you remember exactly how I phrased that?"

"You painted such a vivid picture. But that's hardly what's important here." Hermione lifted an eyebrow. "Was I right? Is this about Malfoy? Does he secretly like you? How did you find out? Did he tell you? Did he confess it to you?"

"Merlin, Hermione! I can only answer one question at a time!" Haley quickly weighed her options. Maybe she could answer some of the questions without lying. Well, she didn't have to answer _all_ of them, right?

"You were right." She admitted with a sigh. "It was about Malfoy." It felt so embarrassing to admit it out loud! Her cheeks were burning up, too! "Just the thought that he's been thinking about me like that all this time makes me sick! That's why I've been so tetchy this morning."

Hermione looked at her, sympathy shining through her eyes. "I'm sorry. I can only imagine how upsetting this must be." She said, placing her hand gently on top of Haley's. "At least that explains your irritating behaviour this morning."

Haley glanced at her friend guiltily. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken it out on you." She apologized only too readily, noting that Hermione hadn't asked _how_ she had found out about Malfoy in the first place.

"So, what does that gobstone have to do with all of this?" She asked.

"Um… well… you see…" Damn, she still didn't know how to explain this. She had to make something up. And quickly. "I… I found this spell the other day. Um… it's – you need a personal item for it."

"A spell? What does it do?"

"So, once you've obtained the personal item, you dip it in Lethe River Water and then – uh... you have to wear it somewhere on your body. It – it works best when the person is asleep." Was it too much? Did it sound too wild?

"Okay… but what does it _do_?" Hermione asked with a frown.

"Oh, it… it…" She bit her lips, trying to come up with something believable. "It's meant to remove his memories. His memories of _me_."

"His memories?"

"Yes. That's why I need to wear the object on my skin, so the memories of me will get soaked up inside the gobstone."

"But why…?" Hermione trailed off, seemingly considering the new information.

"If he doesn't remember me, he won't have a reason to harass me, right?" The explanation actually sounded plausible to her own ears.

"But Haley you can't just erase somebody's memories! That's stealing. And not to mention highly immoral!"

"Like Malfoy's a saint!" Haley fired back in anger.

"Still, that doesn't give you the right to tamper with his memories!" Hermione seemed to be in full morality mode. It really was a good thing she hadn't told her what she had _really_ been doing.

"Well, from the looks of it it's not working anyway." She grumbled in frustration.

"Haley, you-" She broke off with a sigh. "Look, this isn't right. There has to be another way to do this. Have you tried talking to him?"

"I have actually. Unfortunately that ended with me in a mud puddle." She muttered sarcastically.

"I thought you said that was an accident." Hermione frowned.

"It was – I mean… well – it wouldn't have happened if Malfoy had not been present. And he didn't exactly lift a finger to help me."

Her friend took her in for a quiet moment. "You know, this all seems like some weird dream," she whispered. "Malfoy having a crush on you. It doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Haley shook her head dejectedly. If Hermione only knew how ironic this was.

"We should go to sleep for now," the brunette whispered, squeezing her hand. "Who knows? We might come up with a brilliant plan tomorrow. Don't you think?"

Haley shrugged.

"And if nothing else works… do you remember that spell we found with the little yellow birds? I've been itching to try it out on someone." She grinned cheekily.

Haley shivered. Her friend could be really scary if she wanted to be. If she remembered correctly they had found the spell in a book called "Revenge and Other Sweet Pleasures".

"Try to get some more sleep, okay?" Hermione sent her a warm smile, before getting up and walking over to her own bed.

The girl removed her glassed and closed her eyes, trying to think about nothing in particular. As she sank into the realms of sleep, her fingers subconsciously brushed across her wrist where the gobstone used to rest. The gobstone that was now lying forgotten inside her drawer.

…

Hermione, Ron and Haley spent almost all of Sunday working on their homework and preparing for the pre-exams that were due to take place the following week. By the evening Haley felt so exhausted that she was sure her brain actually ached. Ron agreed. Even though Hermione said that was nonsense. In any case, Haley felt far too tired to even think about visiting the dream corridor. She needed her sleep, especially with the pre-exams just around the corner.

Monday morning started with pre-exams in potions. For the practical part they were split up into teams of two. Haley partnered up with Neville, while Ron and Hermione worked together on their potion. It wasn't too difficult, seeing as Haley had practically brewed potions with her mum her entire life. She tried to get a glimpse of Malfoy but the Slytherin was all the way on the other side of the room and with the steam filling the chamber she couldn't see further than to the next table. Surprisingly, the boy seemed to be ignoring her. He never bothered her even once. Didn't even glance at her. As far as she knew. Well, that was all the better, right? On the other hand, it was likely that he was simply too focused because this was the pre-exam and he couldn't be bothered wasting his time sabotaging her. Haley was more than okay with that.

The next pre-exam they had was in History of Magic. Haley thought there were a few dates she got wrong, but otherwise it had went okay. They couldn't all be Hermiones and Malfoys who spent the whole lesson furiously scribbling letters onto their parchments. Not that she had watched the blond. She simply wanted to make sure that he wasn't plotting anything. But just like in potions the Slytherin didn't seem to even notice her. No arrogant smirk. No disdainful eye-roll. It was as if she had turned into a ghost, just like Binns. How weird. Could it be that he was behaving like this because of the things she had said to him in his last dream? Because of her dramatic exit with the fire?

She grinned to herself. Could it really have been that easy? But no. She needed to wait and see. Maybe he was just trying to lull her into a false sense of security before pulling another stupid prank.

"Haley, stop dreaming. It's time for lunch." Hermione grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction of the Great Hall. As far as she knew they didn't have any other classes together with the Slytherins that day. Perhaps she should just let it go and try to focus on her remaining classes. There was still time to observe Malfoy tomorrow.

She didn't get the chance to observe the boy in charms on Tuesday. He never even showed up for the class. Defence Against the Dark Arts was the same. Was he sick? Haley would have thought that like with Hermione the pre-exams were too important for him to miss. Even if he _was_ sick. She was so focused on wondering about Malfoy's whereabouts that she almost didn't notice that Neville made all the chairs in class float when it was his turn showing the Levitation Charm. And he made the students sitting in the chairs float _along_ with them.

He seemed weirdly clumsy lately, like he wasn't able to control his magic properly any more. In Defence Against the Dark Arts, too, he accidentally set their boggart on fire, frightening it so much that no one could continue fighting against it. It was hilarious. And loosened up the tension surrounding the pre-exam a bit. But sadly it wasn't enough to get Haley's mind off her worries.

When Malfoy didn't show up for Care of Magical Creatures on Wednesday, she began to wonder if something really was wrong. While picking up the worms to feed her bowtruckle, she tried to get close to Pansy Parkinson. Perhaps she knew why Malfoy wasn't coming to classes.

"Seriously, this class is a joke. Only that half-giant would come up with such a stupid task." She told Millicent Bulstrode. "You know, it would be much more fun with Draco here. Why did he have to get sick during pre-exam week? My poor Draco," she whined miserably.

"So he _is_ sick!" Haley said triumphantly, never minding that the two Slytherins now knew she had been eavesdropping on them.

"Potter," Parkinson sneered derisively. It was pathetic how she seemed to be imitating Malfoy's usual tone. "Get lost. This is none of your business."

"Believe me, I wasn't exactly eager to talk to you." She rolled her eyes.

"'ey. This is a pre-exam! No talking, everyone!" Hagrid instructed, pointing a massive finger in their direction.

"Whatever," Parkinson said arrogantly, taking a bowl of worms back to her own bowtruckle, Millicent Bulstrode in tow.

Haley smiled apologetically at Hagrid, who gave her a wink and a thumbs up.

"What did Pansy want?" Hermione asked once the lesson was over and they made their way back to the castle.

"That prat really is sick," Haley said. "I knew it."

"So?" Hermione asked. "Are you going to go to the hospital wing to check on him?"

Ron snorted. "That's stupid. Why would she – hey, where are you going?" He called after her but Haley was already heading up the staircase. To get her invisibility cloak.

…

There was no one in the hospital wing besides Madame Pomfrey. This was strange. Shouldn't Malfoy be in the hospital wing when he was sick? Haley fetched the Magnificent Marauder's Map from her pocket and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." As the map came to life in front of her eyes, she wondered why she hadn't thought of using it before.

"Draco Malfoy," she whispered. This searching feature was so handy. The boy's little green dot was blinking down in the dungeons. Was that… the Slytherin dorm? But if he was sick… why was he in his dorm instead of the infirmary?

 _Perhaps he's already feeling better_ , she thought. And why was she bothering with the git in the first place? There was an uncomfortable feeling in the back of her mind. But Haley couldn't make sense of it until the following day.

Over breakfast Haley kept feeling Hermione's eyes on her. She waited for the girl to stop but when she continued staring at her, Haley threw her spoon down, splashing milk and cornflakes around her. "What is it?"

"You're not… still doing that, are you?" Hermione asked, ignoring her friend's outburst. " _Evanesco_ ," she added, almost as an afterthought, vanishing the milky mess around them.

"Doing what?" Haley asked in annoyance, picking up her spoon again.

Hermione didn't have to do more than glance at her wrist pointedly. Even though she wasn't wearing the leather band, she pulled down the sleeves of her robes swiftly.

"No." She replied. It wasn't even a lie. She hadn't been to the dream corridor ever since that last time when she had yelled at Malfoy and created an inferno inside his dream.

"Don't you think," Hermione leaned close to her, making sure that no one else could hear them. "Don't you think your spell might have worked after all? Maybe it worked and… and damaged something inside him."

"No." Haley shook her head and frowned sceptically. That couldn't be right. Her mum would have told her if the dreaming thing was that dangerous.

"I mean. Don't you think it's odd? Him missing all those classes? And during pre-exam week? And didn't you say he wasn't even in the hospital wing?"

"I'm sure it's nothing serious. He's probably just pretending." Her own words weren't even convincing her.

"I don't know. I think we should tell one of the teachers. Or Madame Pomfrey at least."

"No!" Haley protested too quickly. "I mean. Let's wait one more day. If he isn't back by tomorrow I'll go tell Madame Pomfrey."

"If you're sure." Hermione went back to stirring her cup of tea. But Haley could tell that she was still pondering the matter.

She didn't mind. She was lost in her own mind. What if she was right? What if it _was_ her fault? Perhaps, she had went into his dreams too often or… or maybe it had been too much… what she had said to him. Maybe it had really messed him up somehow. She had to fix this. If it was really her fault, she had to try and make it right again.

 **...ooo…**

The dream corridor hasn't changed in the days I haven't been here. It's still the same seemingly endless hallway with doors in all kinds of shapes and colours along each side. The urge to go see mum and ask her for advice is almost too powerful to suppress. I know that in her familiar embrace I would feel safe and warm and like everything was okay. But somehow I feel like this is something I have to do on my own. And besides that, I can't stand to disappoint her. And I'm sure she would be disappointed if she found out what kind of mess I have created.

That's why I'm marching down the hall past my brother's dream door, and past the dream door that seems to belong to Hermione and past – where is Neville's dream door? It used to be next to Hermione's but now… now it seems to have changed places with… Malfoy's? I frown, trying to remember what mum said about the meaning of dream doors. It seems so long ago. I can't remember. Well, it doesn't matter now. I need to make this right.

As always Myron Wagtail greets me from inside his poster. "You again." He notes, he somehow seems paler than usual. Is he sick as well?

I grab the guitar that's resting against the door without even thinking about it twice. The solo flows from my fingers with familiar ease. I think I've never managed to play it this well before.

I don't know what I expect. Applause maybe? In any case, Myron only shakes his head regretfully.

"That was something," he commented, sounding impressed. "But it's not the right tune."

"What? But last time this worked as well! And the time before that, too!" Is he kidding around?

"Just because the tune was right last week, doesn't mean it can't be different tonight." The lead singer shrugs in a way that seems to say. ' _I don't make the rules_.'

"Does that mean the song changed? I have to play something different?"

Myron says nothing, which I take as confirmation. What a downer. The _right tune_ could be a million songs. How am I supposed to find the right one?

Perhaps Myron will be gullible enough to help me again.

"Hey Myron?" I ask innocently.

"Hm?"

"You're not overworking yourself, are you?" I'm trying to hint at his paleness.

"Me? Nah, why d'you ask that?"

"You seem so pale, lately."

"Nah, that's the latest trend now. You didn't know? Melancholy and all that."

"So, you're into melancholic music?"

"Well, lately, I guess. There's that one ballad, the master keeps listening to all night, you see. From one of our ballad albums. It used to be the hit two years ago-" Myron claps his hands in front of his mouth like he had said something he hadn't wanted to say.

Hm. Two years ago… Which ballad of the Weird Sisters was popular two years ago? _My cauldron is cold?_ Or maybe _Un_ _-accio_ _My Heart?_ No, those came out last year. Perhaps…

I place my fingers on the strings and begin to pluck the intro to _Magic Works_. Now, that I think about it, I really should have thought of this sooner. Maybe it's too obvious? I don't really know how to play the chorus, so I imagine the strings to play the notes that would be right, while keeping up at least the correct rhythm. I'm amazed when it actually works.

From the looks of it Myron is amazed, too. He bobs his head along to the music and once I get to the second verse the door opens on its own.

Wow. It really was that obvious. And here I was worrying, I would never guess the right tune.

Without giving myself time to overthink this further, I slip through the door.

The room I step into is really dark. Only a lone candle on a bedside table lights up a small part of the room. It looks like a bedroom. The giant bed in the centre of it takes up most of the space.

"Mother? Is that you? Am I allowed to go out again?" Asks a child's voice from behind the curtains that go all around the bed. Wait, is that Malfoy's voice? But I haven't heard it sound like this in at least four years.

"Mother?" The voice asks again. If I don't answer, he'll probably check who entered the room. But I need a disguise! Something good – something… My eyes flit around the room until they finally rest on a poster. The same poster that I've seen only seconds ago in the dream corridor. It's worth a try, I guess. I close my eyes and concentrate hard on making myself look like Myron Wagtail. I've been a fan of the Weird Sisters for so long, that imagining what their lead singer looks like seems like child's play. I open my eyes again, spotting the black nail polish and countless silver rings sitting on my fingers. I notice that my hair is black as well, as it comes down to my left and right. I feel like an endlessly cool badass rocker now.

I make my way over toward the bed and draw back the curtain.

"Oh. Hey Myron," the little boy greets me like he's used to seeing and talking to celebrities casually like this.

I blink at him in surprise. It's Malfoy. But he looks so young. About ten I would guess.

"You want to play gobstones?" He asks me, gesturing toward the colourful stones that are strewn across his huge bed. "There's not much to do in here. And I'm not supposed to leave the room," he admits sheepishly.

I hesitantly sit on the edge of the bed. "I…" My voice is too high! I need to make it sound deeper. I clear my throat. "So…" That's better. "why are you not supposed to leave your room?" I ask, going in straight for the kill.

"I..." Everything about this boy screams innocent and pitiful to me! It seems so wrong!

"I've done something bad…" he says vaguely, shrugging his small shoulders. I want to hug him. I need to remind myself that I'm mad at this boy and that I don't even like him.

"Something bad?"

"I…" he bites his lips, looking at his fingers where he's playing with a green gobstone that looks eerily familiar. It's the one my sleeping body is wearing as a bracelet in that exact moment. In the next second the gobstone is gone.

"Oh no! I lost it again!" The boy exclaims, lifting the blankets and pillows around him in search of the little stone.

"Malfoy!" I yell impatiently. I didn't come here to look for a stupid stone.

"Huh?" He looks at me in confused wonder. It looks so cute. Why does he have to look like a child? Children are my weakness!

"Why don't you tell me what you've done? Maybe I can help you," I offer with a kind smile.

"I made her sad." He says after a while.

"Hm? Who?"

The boy doesn't look at me. "She told me. She told me she was hurt. Because of me. I never wanted to hurt her. Not really," his voice is a broken whisper that painfully tugs at something in my chest. I know I should be mad. But compared to the sympathy I feel my anger seems like a tiny flame that is threatened to be blown out by a breeze.

"Then why did you hurt her in the first place?" I ask, the question fuelling my anger again.

The boy looks at me out of frightened, grey eyes. "I–It's complicated…"

Of course it's bloody complicated. I barely keep myself from growling at him. This would lead me nowhere.

"So, until when are you stuck in here?" I ask instead, trying not to sound too impatient.

He shrugs again. "I don't know. Until I'm forgiven maybe?"

I roll my eyes. I can't help it.

"You think she won't forgive me?" His little chin wobbles. "I knew it. It's hopeless!" He wails. "After everything I've done, how could she forgive me? I'm such a fool!" He buries his fingers in his hair and tears at it violently. I reach out to pull his hands away.

"Merlin! Are you mad? You're behaving like a little child!"

He blinks at me owlishly. That's when I realise my poor choice of words. I guess I'll have to be a bit more gentle. "Right. So… why don't you try apologizing? That's what people usually do when they make a mistake."

"But that would be useless!" He argues. "She'll never forgive me. _I_ wouldn't forgive myself!"

I pinch his cheek. It's a reflex. My little brother has ruined me. "You never know. You might be surprised." I feel like I'm going to regret these words.

"You think so?" He asks hopefully. My fingers are itching to pinch him again, so I ball them up into fists.

"Who knows? If you're lucky."

Then the boy deflates again. "I don't know how… I've never apologized to someone before."

Hm. This shouldn't come as a surprise, really.

"Why don't we… um… I mean, we could practise? I'll pretend to be that girl and you can practise apologizing to me." It's probably a crazy idea. Especially seeing as I won't really be pretending. But Malfoy doesn't know that…

"You would do that?" He asks, his eyes shining. I nod. "Thanks Myron!" He smiles and the smile on his face is almost blinding.

An expectant silence grows around us leading to… nowhere.

"Right. So, how do I…" the boy stares at me questioningly. I guess there is no way around it. With a snap of my fingers I turn into myself again.

"I thought this might be easier," I mumble, still imitating Myron's deep husky voice. I clear my throat again, before continuing in my natural voice. "I thought you had something to say?"

Malfoy swallows nervously, fiddling with his thumbs. "So…"

I sigh. This is isn't leading anywhere. "Look. Why don't you start with telling me _why_ you're apologizing?"

"Um… okay. So..." He takes a deep breath and looks at my left shoulder. "I… I've been really mean to you." He starts and I nod, encouraging him to go on. "I c-called you n-names and… r-ruined your potions and… tripped you up and…" He counts all of his little misdeeds up on his small fingers. "I pulled all these pranks on you… I… sent Flitwick a love note and signed it with your name-"

"Wait, that was you?" I remember how embarrassing the conversation with the Charms Professor had been.

He nods, not meeting my eyes and continues. "I stole that scarf you bragged about to everyone in third year and…"

"I think that might be enough for the start," I interrupt him. If he lists every single prank he ever played on me, we'll never finish this.

"There's one more." He perks up, and I note that his voice seems a little deeper now. He bites his lips cheekily. "I spat in your soup when your house won the House Cup last year."

"You what?" I screech in disgust.

He chuckles. "Okay I made that up. I thought about it, though." Am I imagining this, or does he look slightly older now?

"Good. I mean – well… now you should apologize," I tell him.

"Right. So… I…"

That boy is really crap at apologizing.

He clears his throat, his eyes still fixed on my shoulder. "I want to… I want to apologize." He looks up into my eyes hesitantly. "I'm sorry," he whispers and somehow he looks like his fifteen-year-old self again. "I'm sorry for doing all these things to you."

Well, look at that. I never would have thought he actually had the guts to apologize. I nod approvingly, while he keeps staring at me.

"So, does this mean you forgive me?" He sounds so eager. But I can't let him off this easily. It's much easier not to be charmed by him now that he doesn't look like a child any more.

"Oh. Well… we were just practising, remember?"

"Oh, right. I forgot," he says, deflating visibly.

"But that wasn't too bad, I think. We can work with that."

"So, what now? Do I have to apologize again?"

"Ah, no. You're not quite done with your apology yet."

"What? What else do I have to do?"

"Well. You need to show me – I mean her – that you're being sincere. And that you're not going to do the same things again."

"And how do I do that?" He's not even rolling his eyes but the tone of his voice makes me think he's doing it mentally.

"I don't know! Do something nice?" Seriously, he can't expect me to do _everything_ for him. He quirks an eyebrow that seems to say ' _Like what?_ ' If he actually asks that, I think I might slap him.

"I think I have an idea," he says instead, surprising me. "Follow me." He gets up from the bed, grabs my hand and pulls me toward the door.

Wait. That's the door that leads into the dream corridor! Does he know about it? Before I can panic any further the boy has pulled open the door and me right though it.

On the other side of the door we're greeted by an onslaught of colours and light. This is not the dream corridor.

"Diagon Alley?" I ask in confusion. What are we doing here?

Instead of answering Malfoy grins at me, pulling me down the street until we reach one of my favourite spots in Diagon Alley: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

"That's your grand idea? Ice cream?"

The boy shrugs as we enter the shop, a bell chiming cheerfully behind us. "You said, I should do something nice," he reminds me, as he inspects the many different ice cream flavours. "I'll treat you." He squeezes my hand that he's still holding, grinning in a suspiciously nervous way. I pull my hand free. Does he think this is some kind of date?

He frowns down at my hand. "I apologized, didn't I? Aren't you going to give me a chance?"

I don't remember ever saying anything about giving him a chance! Whatever he means by that! And I never agreed to holding his sodding hand!

"Look. Let's take this step by step, okay? We're not even friends for Merlin's sake!"

He eyes me, seeming disappointed and a little thoughtful. "Fine. Let's start with being friends, then." He says matter-of-factly. Is he actually _serious_?

"You can't just decide it like this. Friendship doesn't work like that!"

"I'm sure I can make it work," he replies, grinning cheekily. "Pick anything you like. It's my treat." He informs me, nodding at the display in front of us. I want to tell him that it doesn't matter anyway because this is a dream and he's not _really_ treating me. But I guess, it's the gesture that counts.

Malfoy decides on something with chocolate, coconut and lots of cream and chocolate chips, while I order a cookie dough sundae. I love that flavour!

We sit down to eat our ice cream at one of the tables in front of the parlour. The sun is shining and it feels like late spring or early summer. I hear birds chirping and while I lick my ice cream I notice the boy, sitting opposite me, stare at me, an annoyingly smug grin on his face. It gives me the feeling that we're playing some kind of game that I don't know the rules of and he's the one winning.

"What? Is there something on my face?" I ask in annoyance.

He keeps grinning, almost absently eating his ice cream, while his eyes never stray from my face.

I scowl at him, clicking my tongue.

"You want to try?" He asks, holding his cone out to me. Is he delusional? I shake my head, not bothering with a verbal answer. He seems to wait for me to do something. Does he want me to return the offer? Well, in that case he will be disappointed.

"Is it good?" He asks, glancing at my ice cream.

"To die for." I reply, thoughtlessly. Fortescue's _does_ make the best ice cream!

He bites his lips. "Can I try?"

I don't even wait until he's finished asking the question before I shake my head. Something flashes up in his eyes. Anger? Annoyance? I can't tell.

He gets up abruptly, walking around the table and plops down in the seat next to me. "Just a taste," he asks, reaching for my cone.

"No." I say, raising my arm and holding it out of his reach.

"Come on," he whines. His tone makes me chuckle because he might look fifteen now but he still behaves like a child.

I shake my head again, trying not to grin.

"Don't be such a–" He breaks off, never finishing whatever he had wanted to call me. I freeze. Because there's a glob of cookie dough ice cream on my cheek.

He watches me, cautiously, like he's afraid I'm going to attack him. When I do nothing but glare at him darkly, he raises his left hand and – fast like a snitch – wipes the ice cream from my cheek.

It happens so fast that I can't even slap his hand away.

"What are you-?" I gape at him, as he licks the ice cream from his fingers. " _Ew_."

"Mm. I like it," he says, grinning triumphantly. There's a mad glint in his eyes that makes me slightly uncomfortable. What is he planning?

He pushes his cone into my free hand, leans forward and cups my face in his hands. His eyes sweep across my face in a way that seems almost appraising. Like he's found a new promising broom or something. "I really, _really_ like it." He says, before pressing his lips against mine.

I want to push him away but there are ice cream cones in both of my hands. Sneaky bastard. How bloody convenient for him.

 **… ooo …**

When Haley woke up there was still a lingering taste of ice cream in her mouth. Her eyes were wide and her pulse racing. _Why does he keep doing that?_ , she thought angrily. _That's what you get for trying to help that git_. Her eyes fell on the leather band around her wrist. She tore it off and threw it against the curtains around her bed in frustration. Why was her heart beating like this? Was it because of the kiss? Or because of the way he had looked at her? Or was it his words? No. She shook her head in disgust. The mere thoughts repelled her. It had to be because of the surprise. And she had woken up so suddenly. That had to be it.

She pulled the covers back up around herself and tried to calm her heart. She didn't dare close her eyes, fearing the remnants of the dream would come back to haunt her. After a while, she felt calmer and tried to fall asleep again. _It's nothing. It's simply because I woke up so suddenly_ , she thought as she drifted off to sleep, all the while ignoring the sceptical voice that whispered, her explanations sounded more like excuses.

…

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Here's a new chapter for you. I had so much fun writing pre-teen!Draco. Wasn't he cute? I'm super curious what your guesses are for The Secret ... Anyway, thank you for reading and leave me your thoughts!


	11. The Tree House

**11 – The Tree House**

 _"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country."  
― Anais Nin _

_..._

Usually, Haley didn't drop things. But what she saw the next morning during breakfast, made her lose the grip around her teacup. The china cup broke into pieces on the ground with an ugly high-pitched shattering sound.

"Here, let me get that," Neville said as he pointed his wand at the broken cup. " _Reparo_." A second later the cup magically mended itself, looking as good as new. Then it began to glow and exploded into bright flames.

"Uh… oops." Neville said sheepishly.

" _Aguamenti_ ," Hermione said firmly, putting out the fire and leaving behind a wet little pile of ash.

Several pairs of eyes turned to look at Neville.

"Blimey." Said Ron, shaking his head in disbelief. "What was that?"

"It's just like in Transfigurations the other day," Seamus Finnagan commented. "You know, we were supposed to transform a button into a chair and Neville went and turned his button into a sodding four-poster!"

"I was tired," the boy in question tried to defend himself.

"And then the bed went up in flames!" Dean Thomas added incredulously.

Neville shrugged helplessly. He didn't really like being the centre of attention. Haley knew that. Actually, she sometimes wondered if that was one of the reasons why he had broken up with her. Somehow she always attracted attention.

She placed her hand on his arm. "Are you okay? Maybe you should go see Madame Pomfrey."

He shook his head lightly. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine." He assured her with a kind smile.

Huh? It didn't make her heart pound like it usually did. His smile. And it did look a bit forced, didn't it?

Haley squeezed his arm once, before removing her hand and blindly reaching for her cup of tea. It wasn't there. _Oh right_. She remembered then. _I dropped it_.

Then her head snapped to the right, her gaze fixing on the thing that had surprised her so much.

Malfoy. He was back. Sitting at the Slytherin table and enjoying his breakfast like nothing was wrong. Like he hadn't missed three days of school for no good reason at all.

"Look at that! Malfoy is back!" Ron noted, his mouth filled with mashed potatoes.

"Seriously, have you heard of chewing!" Hermione admonished, rolling her eyes at the boy. Ron gaped at her, causing the girl to grab his chin and shut his mouth. The boy blinked at her, his cheeks turning a soft pink. Hermione went back to her coffee.

 _Those two, really_. Haley sighed, wondering if one of them would ever make the first move. Her eyes wandered back to the Slytherin table.

"He's gone!" She exclaimed with wide eyes. She hadn't just made him up, had she? No, Ron had seen him as well.

"Who?" Neville asked, following her gaze.

"Malfoy. Who else." Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes. She raised her eyebrows and glanced at Haley meaningfully. But she couldn't quite decipher what her friend was trying to tell her.

"So, did you prepare for Herbology?" Neville asked cheerfully. "It's our last pre-exam, right?"

Haley groaned. She wanted these stupid pre-exams to be over already.

"You forgot Astronomy. It's scheduled for Saturday night," Hermione corrected him.

Wonderful. Haley shared a suffering look with Ron as they made their way out of the Great Hall. She wasn't actively looking but as her eyes wandered across the students crowding the Entrance Hall, she spotted the stupid Slytherin, leaning against the wall. He seemed busy talking to one of his fellow Slytherins. Blaise Zabini. But Haley knew that it was just for show. In truth, he was waiting for her to walk past him. So he could taunt her or play another trick on her.

Any minute now, he would turn away from Zabini and smirk at her mockingly or scowl at her or lift a challenging eyebrow.

They passed the Slytherins leaving the Entrance Hall behind and stepped out onto the castle grounds. Haley turned her head back. No reaction. He hadn't acknowledged her in any way! But he had to have noticed her! Never before had he ignored her like this!

"Did you see that?" She asked no one in particular.

"See what?"

"Malfoy… He… he completely ignored me." Haley was speechless. This didn't make any sense.

"So what?" Hermione questioned impatiently, sounding slightly annoyed. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Bu-But he never… this isn't… it's unnatural. He must be plotting something. I'm sure of it!"

"I thought you _wanted_ him to leave you alone." Hermione said with a sigh.

"I _did_ – I mean I _do_ – it's just…I…" She shrugged, unable to express why she found all of this so unsettling.

"For Merlin's sake, would you rather he turned your skin green again?"

Haley shook her head, feeling small.

"Then stop complaining, already! I'm not failing this exam because of Malfoy!"

"It's a pre-exam, Hermione," Ron reminded her. But the girl only glared at him and marched ahead toward the green houses. "Hey, wait for us!" He called, running after her.

Haley sighed. She searched out Neville, who would surely offer her an understanding smile. But the boy wasn't looking at her at all. His gaze was fixed on something behind them. He was worrying at his lip like he was deep in thought.

"Neville?" She asked, touching his wrist softly. The moment he looked at her, a spark exploded from his wand, which he was clutching tightly, and burned her fingers. She pulled them away in surprise. " _Ow_."

"Sorry, sorry," he apologised breathlessly, as he slipped the wand into his breast pocket.

"Does it hurt?" He asked in concern. Haley shook her head, her eyes flicking over the seam of his sleeve. It looked like it was burned. And on the ground behind them was a line in the snow that looked like it had been melted.

"Neville, what…?" She shook her head in confusion. "What's going on?"

He bit his lips. It seemed like he was actively stopping himself from telling her. "It's nothing. Probably just the stress," he mumbled with a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

Something was clearly wrong here. Why wouldn't he tell her? And what had he been looking at with such intensity just now? He hadn't been looking back at Malfoy, had he? But then, he had no reason to watch the Slytherin, right? It didn't make any sense. None of it.

…

They didn't have any classes with the Slytherins that day, so Haley soon forgot about one of her worries. Until dinner rolled around, and she spotted Malfoy in the Entrance Hall again. This time he was alone. She tried to ignore him, expecting him to do the same just like he had earlier that day.

So, of course she was surprised, when he addressed her out of the blue.

"Potter." He said, as she and her friends passed him. "A word?" He asked in a neutral tone, lifting a questioning eyebrow.

Haley frowned, looking back at her friends, who seemed surprised and suspicious at the same time. She cursed her curiosity. The sensible thing would be to ignore him and leave things as they were. Go and have dinner with her friends like she had intended. But maybe… she could find out why he had been absent these past few days. Or why his behaviour toward her had changed.

"Go on ahead, I'll be just a minute," she found herself telling her friends, before turning to the Slytherin expectantly. The boy turned around and without another word started walking down the hallway. Before her friends had the chance to talk her out of it, she followed him.

In the middle of a deserted hallway the boy stopped, causing her to almost walk right into him.

He turned, facing her. There was something careful about his expression. Like he was trying not to show any emotions.

"So..." He started to say, letting the word hang there between them.

"Oh, you want to talk here?" She asked in confusion. "In the middle of the hallway?" Somehow, she had expected a dark alcove or an empty class room.

Malfoy lifted an eyebrow. "I wanted to keep this as brief as possible."

 _Why so formal today?_ , she wanted to ask but he was right. It would be best to keep whatever they were going to talk about as short as possible.

"Right." She nodded, gesturing for him to go on.

The boy took a deep breath, as if he were bracing himself. His eyes were fixed on her shoulder, like he didn't want to directly look at her. It oddly reminded her of when he had been trying to apologise to her in his dream. Wait. Was this the reason why he had brought her here? To apologise?

"It's no fun any more." The words rushed out of him so fast, that she almost didn't understand them.

"What?"

"Picking on you," he continued, in a bored tone. "I've got tired of it."

"What?"

The confusion had to be evident on her face because Malfoy sighed, running a hand across his face. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm s-" He broke off mid-word, clamping his mouth shut. He looked at her, calculating. It seemed as if he was searching her face for something. Then he cleared his throat and looked away. "I'm done wasting my time playing childish games with you. Here." He took something out of his shoulder bag and handed it to her. "I have no use for this any longer."

"My prank book!" Haley exclaimed, clutching the book to her chest. "I knew you'd taken it."

The Slytherin snorted mockingly. "Not my fault if you don't take care of your things." He smirked in that annoying superior way and for a moment there was something in the air. Something electric. Haley could swear that there was something else he wanted to tell her. It seemed like he was fighting with himself, trying to decide whether to say it or keep quiet. She waited for the outcome with bated breath…

"What are you staring at, Potter?" He sneered derisively, before rolling his eyes and marching past her down the hall they had come from. It seemed like he had lost the fight. Or won it? Haley shook her head, feeling even more confused than she had before talking to Malfoy. What was the meaning of this? If she wasn't mistaken, he had tried to say he was sorry… in his own clumsy way. Even if he hadn't straight out said the words. But what else could this have been about?

Another trick? Another way to get under her skin? She didn't know. All she could do was wait and see what happened.

…

As it turned out nothing happened. Nothing at all. Malfoy did continue attending classes but he didn't so much as look her way. On the school grounds, in the hallways, during meals he neither glanced, glared or sneered at her. He didn't acknowledge her in any way at all. This of course included playing pranks on her as well.

But instead of being relieved like Haley should have been, this uncertainty deeply unsettled her. Before, she had known, even expected that there might be another trick waiting for her. That Malfoy was plotting something and it was only a question of time until she had to face his triumphant smirk.

Now, there was nothing. For all she knew, he could be planning something all this time, making her believe everything was all right, while secretly waiting for the right time to strike.

"Or perhaps, he told the truth," Hermione stressed for the hundredth time after two weeks of Malfoy ignoring her. "With the OWLs being so close, I'm sure he realised that he could spend his time in a much more sensible way. Like studying."

"B-but-" Haley started.

"But nothing, Haley!" Her friend interrupted impatiently. "This has turned into an obsession. Do you really want to fail your OWLs because of him?"

She bit her lips sheepishly. "It's not an obsession," she mumbled, glancing around the hall absently.

"You're doing it again!" Hermione burst out.

"Huh?"

"Looking for him! If I didn't know any better I would think you had a crush on him!"

That made her finally focus on the conversation. "Me? A crush on that git? Are you insane?" She was really crazy if she thought she could ever – the thought alone made her shudder.

"Then get yourself together, for Merlin's sake!" Hermione hissed at her, before leaving her alone in the hallway.

…

Where was the stupid gobstone? It wasn't on her bedside table or inside the drawer for that matter. Ever since throwing it into the darkness after that dream with the ice cream incident, she hadn't seen it again. It wasn't under her bed or anywhere between her sheets… So, where was it?

" _Accio gobstone_ ," she whispered, quietly as not to wake anyone. Haley heard a soft thud from somewhere close. She repeated the incantation, hearing the thud again. It came from Hermione's bed. Haley tip-toed over toward the bed and quietly drew aside the curtain. Her friend was sound asleep. She held her breath carefully surveying the scene. The noise had sounded like something was knocking against wood. Wood… The drawer!

Slowly, while observing the girl's sleeping face, she leaned over the bedside table and pulled open the drawer. It was right there! Her gobstone! Well, technically it was Malfoy's gobstone but for the moment it was hers.

She grabbed the little stone out of the drawer and quietly closed it again.

"Stop, right there!" Hermione exclaimed, causing Haley's heart to stop. Slowly she turned to look at her friend… who kept sleeping peacefully.

Haley exhaled in relief. Right. Her friend sometimes talked in her sleep. Without wasting any more time, she tip-toed back to her bed and drew the curtains closed around it.

While she wrapped the leather band around her wrist, she tried not to overthink what she was about to do. She just needed to go there one last time. She needed to know why he was acting like this. Needed to make sure he wasn't playing her again. _That's all. It's not an obsession_ , she reassured herself, as she pulled the blankets up around her and calmed her mind so she could fall asleep.

It calmed her somewhat. The familiar feeling of the gobstone against her skin. But before she even became aware of that thought, she was lost to the dream world.

 **...ooo…**

I've always wondered what it would be like if I were a boy. My hair short, black and tousled like dad's and my jaw with a cutting edge instead of a soft curve. And my body? I would have to say goodbye to all my beloved female curves as well. Now, that I feel like I'm finally growing into them.

But that's what I've come up with for a disguise tonight. Just in case. As far as I know, Malfoy doesn't remember his dreams in much detail anyway but you never know.

As I play the new guitar solo, Myron observes me suspiciously, like he thinks I'm familiar but can't quite put his finger on who I am. That's promising. When I'm done, the singer still frowns at me but the door opens nevertheless and I walk into another dream, feeling excited and uncertain at the same time.

Is that a… forest? I turn my head only to realise, I've just entered through a tree. How curious.

"Hand me another nail, Dobby," the boy who I notice only now says cheerfully. It's Malfoy. Who else? And he's sitting on the ground his back to me, and his legs crossed underneath him and a hammer in his hand. He's wearing a lose muggle shirt and short trousers. No robes?

Next to him on the ground is a house elf, who hands the boy a nail obediently, which he promptly hammers onto a plank, which the elf is holding against the tree in front of them. There are other planks above it, forming some kind of ladder, I think.

"Uh..." I didn't mean to say anything at all. But the scene in front of me is just so unexpected.

The boy and the elf turn around simultaneously. It's a sight so bizarre it seems unfair I'm the only one witnessing it. Malfoy gets up and grins at me. If my sudden appearance surprises him, he doesn't show it. "It's as good as done. You want to come and have a look at it?" He sounds kind of proud.

"Um… look at what?" As far as I can see, there are merely a couple of boards nailed to the wide oak tree.

"Our tree house!" He exclaims gleefully, gesturing upwards. I follow his gaze into the treetops. Wait. Something that I could swear hasn't been there a second ago is looming above us. It's hard to tell how far away it is.

I shrug. "Why not."

He stares at me for a moment as if considering me. "You seem familiar," he says then, narrowing his eyes like he's trying to remember something. "You remind me of someone. A girl, I think."

"Uh..." Damn, I'm really bad with words today. Almost as bad as my idiot brother. That's when I get the most amazing idea. "You probably know my sister," I say, rubbing the back of my neck, and attempting to make my voice sound deeper.

"Your eyes…" he continues. "They look… just like hers… even the glasses." He frowns.

"That's because – we – we both have really poor eyesight – it's because – because we're twins." Hopefully, he will believe my story. I really should have got rid of the stupid glasses.

"I see." He nods, seemingly to himself. "I do remember her having a brother… What's your name?"

"Oh, um…" Why didn't I anticipate such a question? What had dad said, they wanted to name me in case I turned out a boy? I clear my throat. "Harry," I say with confidence, relieved I thought of a name.

"Harry?"

I nod.

He raises an eyebrow, before stretching out his hand. "My pleasure. I'm Draco."

Draco. Such a pretentious name. Well, I guess, he didn't chose it himself. I glance at his hand sceptically. It would seem weird not to take it, right?

Inwardly sighing, I take his hand and give it a quick shake.

"Come on." He gestures for me to start climbing as soon as I've let go of his hand.

I give the ladder a doubtful side-glance. "Are you sure, that's safe?"

Draco – I mean Malfoy – only chuckles instead of answering.

 _Don't be such a_ _wimp_ _, Haley_ , I tell myself. I can't get hurt in a dream. Not really. I take a deep breath and begin climbing the ladder. It actually holds my weight! As I continue climbing, Malfoy gets on the ladder after me. Heh. He's beneath me. There's this urge filling me. Wouldn't it be fun, if I kicked him off the ladder? Even the mental image is enough to make me snort.

"Is something the matter?" He asks, disrupting my innocent daydreams.

"No." I grin to myself, as we continue climbing the ladder. This is not what I've come here for. Before having some fun with him, I actually want to get some answers.

The boy accepts my answer and we continue climbing up the ladder while the midday sun burns down on us. Honestly, this ladder is endless. I could swear that the distance between us and the tree house is still the same as when we started.

"How much longer until we're there?" I ask, not caring that I sound like a five-year-old.

"It's right there. Can't you see?" He calls, pointing above us. I glance upwards, following his finger.

He's right. The tree house is right there only a few more rungs away. How curious. I reach for the last plank, and pull myself up, onto the wooden deck that slightly juts out at the end of the ladder.

"Whew," I'm so exhausted. I'm lying on my back on the deck that surrounds the little tree house. It really is a house. Much bigger than I imagined. It's almost as big as Hagrid's hut. It's got walls and a roof and a door. From what I can see there are even windows at the sides.

A second later Malfoy's head appears above the deck. He pulls himself up on it and joins me, taking in his tree house like it's some kind of treasure. He grins at me, then opens the wooden door and goes inside.

"I'm parched," he complains, walking toward a little cabinet in the corner and pulling out two caramel coloured bottles. "Butterbeer?" He asks, holding one of the bottles out to me.

I almost snatch the butterbeer out of his hands. I'm so thirsty!

Malfoy chuckles, lowering himself to the wooden floor and leaning against the wall behind him. There are no chairs. "Don't just stand there," he says, patting the space next to him.

I'm still taking in my surroundings. Does this tree house exist in reality? Or is it merely a product of the Slytherin's imagination? It's a really nice tree house. With light wood and a ceiling that's made of glass.

"Do you like it?" He asks, noticing my wonder. I nod absently, before sinking down against the wall next to him.

We both sip at our butterbeers in silence.

After a while Malfoy clears his throat. "So… your sister," he starts to say, biting his lips. "Um…has she ever… mentioned me?" He blushes softly, looking into the bottle in his hands.

Ah. Now, I get it. Is this supposed to be some bro-bonding time thing, where he asks me how to get into my sisters – uh I mean – _my_ pants? I cough awkwardly, in order to hide the shudder that runs through me.

"Yes." I grunt out in my most dangerous tone. "She told me that you're a bully."

Malfoy seems taken aback. "She did?"

I nod, narrowing my eyes at him. "Why?" I ask. "Are you interested in her or something? Or do you simply enjoy being a jerk." It's weird talking about myself in the third person.

"W-What?" He stammers, his eyes wide. "I – I…" He clears his throat, glancing to the side. "How did you know?" He whispers. There's something shy about him. He's blushing even more now. It's oddly endearing.

"How did I know _what_?" I try not to roll my eyes. I asked him two questions, didn't I? Or does the answer apply to both of them?

"How did you know… that I like her?"

It's disarming.

The way he just casually admitted that he _likes_ my sister – no that he likes _me_. How can he just – I'm afraid my eyes are going to actually fall out.

"You – you _like_ her?" I ask, breathlessly. " _Haley_?" It shouldn't be this surprising. And it isn't. Not really. But actually hearing Malfoy say it like this seems so… earth-shattering.

"Yes." He says, his lips curving up into a soft smile. "I really like her." I don't know what it is that irritates me about his words. It might be the matter-of-fact way in which he says them. Like there's nothing to it. No big deal. But it _is_ a big deal! A huge deal!

"Why?" My voice comes out calmer than I feel. "Why?" I place the butterbeer beside me with a _clonk_. "If you like her so much, why are you–" I shake my head, trying to make sense of what I actually want to say. "Why do you treat her like this?"

He doesn't look at me. His smile is gone, replaced by a sad frown. "I…" He begins, his fingers playing with the cap of his bottle. "It's complicated." He offers. Like that explains anything.

"Complicated?"

He nods, still fiddling with his bottle. The apparent sadness surrounding him makes me swallow my anger and try a different approach. "You can't tell me? Is it a secret?"

He nods again. Could it be _The_ _Secret_?

"Maybe you could…" I stop myself, noticing how eager I'm sounding. "If you can't tell me… would you… tell my sister?"

The boy looks up in surprise. "I don't – maybe… I don't know." He shrugs.

I can feel it. This is my chance. He'll tell me. I'm sure of it. And so I close my eyes and turn back into myself. Goodbye boyish edges!

When I open my eyes again I notice him gazing out of the window. He hasn't even noticed my transformation! Instead he's watching the stupid clouds drift by.

"I haven't even told father," he admits quietly. It seems like a secret in itself. Like something private. That I shouldn't have heard.

For the first time I wonder, if this might actually be wrong. Am I going too far? He can't even defend himself. He doesn't know that he's dreaming or that I'm here. That I'm actually _me_. The real me.

"Oh, I don't tell my dad everything either." I say, trying to lighten the mood. "Actually," I bite my lips wondering if I should really tell him this. But it's only fair, isn't it? "You know in first year, when we were sorted into our houses…I almost didn't become a Gryffindor."

"What?" He asks surprisedly, finally turning to look at me. Or staring would be more fitting. Has he noticed that I'm a girl again?

I nod.

"Where did the Hat want to put you?"

"The Talking Hat… it… it… it wanted to put me into... Ravenclaw." I try to school my features into something innocent. But of course he notices and quirks an eyebrow. Well, it hasn't been a complete lie.

"Well, the Hat couldn't decide… it… it was torn between Ravenclaw and… and..." I should just finish the story now that I've started it. I take a deep breath and burst out. "Slytherin!"

Malfoy stares at me, frowning. Then he grins. "I always thought you played quidditch like a Slytherin."

"I mean, it also considered Ravenclaw – what?" I narrow my eyes at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He snorts. "You never look for the snitch on your own. You're always waiting for the other Seeker to find it first. And then you take advantage of the fact that your Firebolt outflies every other broom on the pitch." He begins to count the facts on his fingers. "Sometimes you even distract the other Seeker's attention on purpose so they don't notice you've spotted the snitch. To me, that sounds quite cunning. Something a Slytherin would do." He concludes in a triumphant tone.

I clear my throat sheepishly. How did he catch all of that? When he puts it like _this_ …

"Have you been stalking me or something?" I mutter. An attempt to return the attention to him.

"I didn't need to stalk you to notice that."

He's right of course. But until now I thought nobody had noticed… I sigh. "To be honest, I've never really felt like a true Gryffindor." I pull my legs up and wrap my arms around my knees. I've never told anyone about this. Why am I telling Malfoy? "I'm not especially brave or heroic or actively looking for adventures that might grant me eternal glory. I'm just a normal girl," I whisper the last part, burying my face in my arms.

Malfoy doesn't do anything. Doesn't comment or try and hold my hand or something equally intrusive. I think if he tried I would actually freak out. He doesn't do anything. He simply sits next to me and listens. And somehow I appreciate that. It's what makes me continue talking.

"My whole family basically was in Gryffindor. Dad never stops going on about how amazing a house it is and that all the other houses suck and _how could his brave daughter be anything but a Gryffindor?_ " Maybe I tell him because it's a dream and there's a high chance he won't remember this anyway. "I mean, Ravenclaw would have been okay, I guess. But as soon as the Hat suggested Slytherin, I panicked. I mentally screamed at the Hat to put me anywhere but Slytherin. And just like that I ended up in Gryffindor." It feels good to be able to finally talk about this. Even if Malfoy is the one listening.

"Would Slytherin have been so bad?" He asks, a wistful note in his voice. Perhaps he's picturing what school would have been like if we had been in the same house.

"You don't know my dad." I chuckle, raising my head to look at him. "If I had not become a Gryffindor or even worse if I had been put into _Slytherin,_ it would have given him a heart attack. Maybe he would have pulled me out of school or pressed charges against Dumbledore."

"That's fun," he says, chuckling. "If I had been put anywhere _but_ Slytherin, my father would have disowned me. Or pressed charges against Dumbledore, probably. I can only imagine what would have happened if I had become a Gryffindor."

For a moment we just look at each other, as we process the irony of our situations that seem different at first glance. But maybe they're not so different after all. Maybe we have more in common than we thought.

"So, how about we just get rid of the houses," I suggest, feeling rebellious all of a sudden, like there was a spark inside me that has been ignited.

"That's a brilliant plan," He says. I'm not sure if he's mocking me. "Are you hiding any other optimistic ideas like becoming headmaster? Or getting rid of classes?"

"Actually…" I say in embarrassment. "I've been thinking… well, the castle could use some colour, don't you think? The grey stone walls… the gloomy hallways… they're depressing, honestly. I'd love to add some colour here and there." Now, I'm the one who sounds wistful.

"You like painting, don't you?" The boy asks, a soft smile on his lips.

I nod. "You noticed?"

He looks away, in a seemingly innocent manner. "Remember third year when you lost your sketch pad?"

"You took my sketch pad?" I ask in astonishment.

"I _found_ it." He defends himself, still not meeting my eyes.

"And you kept it," I press, narrowing my eyes at him.

He coughs uncomfortably, before getting up. "Anyway, would you like to start with the tree house?"

"Start?"

"You know, you said you wanted to bring some colour to the castle. So, I thought maybe you would like to practise." His eyes flick toward the corner where the cabinet was located just a moment ago. In its place there is an array of paintbrushes and creamy acrylics. Usually, I prefer watercolours but… the suggestion makes me smile.

I walk over to the corner and grab a thick paintbrush. I think I'm going to start with the sky. As I paint a rich blue across the wood, Malfoy steps to the other side of the wall I'm colouring, a paintbrush in his hand as well.

I feel him watch me as I spread the colour expertly on the wooden boards. "What?" I ask after a while.

He shakes his head. "It's just – you're really good at this. Where did you learn it?"

I grin. I've always liked people praising and admiring me. I think I got that from dad. So… perhaps I'm a little bit of a Gryffindor after all?

"My mum loves to paint." I answer. "I kind of got it from her. Along with her penchant for potions."

Malfoy smiles again, before finally making his first stroke. He's drawn a circle. Is that supposed to be the sun? We both continue painting in silence. It's not an uncomfortable silence. To my sky I have added a green lawn and a lake that looks like it could be the Great Lake. Should I try painting the castle as well? I glance over to Malfoy, wondering what he might be painting.

Before I can see anything more than two green dots and something reddish, Malfoy steps in front of his work, shielding it from me. He grins secretively, and gestures for me to return to my own creations. I roll my eyes. Is he trying to paint me? That gives me an idea…

I raise my paintbrush to the wood again and after a few well placed strokes a caricature of the blond Slytherin smirks at me. His head is extra big (big-head) and his chin even pointier than in real life. I even managed to depict his arrogant sneer and the way his nose is always high up in the air. It's _brilliant_.

Malfoy notices my giggling. He nods at my beautiful portrait of him and asks, "Who is that?"

I shoot him a pointed look. "You've never looked into a mirror?"

"That looks nothing like me!" He protests, aghast.

"You're right. I forgot something." I paint a curved black line above cartoon Malfoy's mouth. A nice moustache. "That's better." I say, still giggling.

"I don't have a moustache!" He shudders visibly at the image. I scrawl the word _Malfoy_ beneath my work of art.

He scowls, muttering something I can't understand.

"Sorry?"

"I said don't call me that! My name is _Draco_."

Oh. Where has _that_ come from? "I know," I say. I don't know what to add to that. This feels awkward. He can't be seriously expecting me to call him _Draco_. I need to distract him.

"Well, what have you been painting, then?" I ask walking over to his side. The moment he realizes what I'm intending to do, he plasters himself against the wall.

"Nothing." He says. Or squeaks, really. This won't do.

"The snitch!" I exclaim excitedly, pointing toward the window on the opposite wall.

"Where?"

I can't believe this stupid trick has actually worked a second time. The boy jumps forward in surprise only a bit but it's enough to reveal what he's been working on. And what I see then, nearly takes my breath away.

I might be gaping. I don't even know.

While Malfoy sputters, "I – you weren't supposed – It's not – I didn't want–" I take in the picture in front of me.

He's painted a girl. A girl in green Slytherin robes that accentuate her green eyes which seem to sparkle even though this is just a painting. Her hair is a shiny mix between red and brown and it's framing her face in soft waves. She's beautiful in a fierce way. She might be on fire. Or electrified. I want to be her. No, I want to be with her. She gives off an aura that combines strength and kindness in a way that makes her desirable and lovely. I'm so jealous of this girl.

Malfoy is twiddling with his paintbrush nervously. "I'm not… as good as you so…" He shrugs, biting his lips.

"Who – who is that?" I ask quietly. I'm pretty sure I know who it's supposed to be but I don't want to assume anything. I want to hear it from Draco – I mean, _Malfoy_. He's probably confusing me on purpose!

"It's you," he whispers shyly. And it makes my heart stop. How can he paint a picture like that? A picture that actually makes me feel something? How can he – is that the way he sees me? Beautiful and strong and everything else I've seen in the painting? There's a strange tug in my chest and – I can't deal with that – I can't –

I raise my brush and paint a pig nose right in the middle of her face. It's not even a conscious decision. My body just –

"What are you doing?" Draco – _Malfoy_ , Merlin! – asks and slaps the brush out of my hands.

"Felt like it," I answer nonchalantly. Where the hell has this coolness come from?

The boy glares at me for a moment, before turning back to his portrait and painting overly long vampire teeth into the corners of the girl's mouth.

I pick up my brush from the ground and in less than a second I'm in front of my own picture again, drawing little devil's horns on cartoon Malfoy's head. Somehow, this escalates into a contest of 'Whose painting is the ugliest?' It's insane.

At some point he comes over to my side and crosses out the name I've written there. He smirks triumphantly. But only for a moment because I write down the word _Draco_ beneath it.

He scowls again. "I don't look like this!" He complains, using his paintbrush like it's a catapult and splattering me with paint in various colours.

"You did not just do that!" I fire back, splattering him with black paint in return. There are little black dots all over his face. It looks so silly. I can't help laughing, forgetting that I probably look about the same.

There's more paint on my face. "Hey, stop it," I say, reaching for the brush in his hands and trying to pull it from his grasp. He won't let go. I glare at him. But he looks so silly that I have to laugh again. My head falls forward, accidentally making contact with the brush.

Draco snorts. "Now you really have a pig nose." He presses his finger against my nose lightly to emphasise his point. I swat it away in annoyance. "Stop that," I say but he's laughing now. Earnestly. I don't think I've ever seen him laugh before. Not like this. Carefree and open. It's contagious. So, I join in, leaning back against the wall to steady myself.

I don't know for how long we're just laughing like idiots. Or why. But what I do know is that it makes me feel something. Something familiar, that reminds me of summer nights together with Ron and Hermione.

Friendship. It's what friendship feels like. But this is neither Hermione nor Ron. This is… Malfoy. Something about that thought bothers me. No, it's… Draco. The boy that I visit in his dreams. A boy who is fun and sometimes sad and other times shy but also kind and warm.

He's not Malfoy. I don't care for Malfoy. The git who ruins my life when I'm awake.

As I glance over toward the boy who grins at me, his cheeks flushed from all the laughter, I think it might be nice… to be his friend.

While I paint a black moustache across his skin, I get the feeling that I'm forgetting something. Hadn't there been a reason why I've come here tonight? A reason other than spraying paint all over the place? I think about it for a moment. But then I shrug it off.

I can't remember. It probably wasn't that important in the first place.

…

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! Writing that last part was a blast. I imagine the two of them to have so much fun. I don't know a lot about painting so i hope it makes sense. Draco painting Haley the way he sees her was kind of inspired by a similar scene from Eragon that I really liked. If you read the books you'll know what I'm referring to ;) Well, let me know what you think, and thanks for reading as always :)

PS: Any Paramore fans out there? I'm so in love with the After Laughter album!


	12. The Key

**12 – The Key**

 _"One of the characteristics of the dream is that nothing surprises us in it. With no regret, we agree to live in it with strangers, completely cut off from our habits and friends."_  
 _― Jean Cocteau_

 _..._

 _"I had a dream about you last night. I was alone on a dark night and you came to me as a firefly. I knew it was you because you were the brightest."_  
 _― Crystal Hudson, Dreaming is for lovers_

...

The next morning it hit her like a horde of hippogriffs. She had forgotten to ask him about the secret. Or rather… she hadn't asked when she had had the chance to do so. Why had she hesitated? Just because he had similar issues with his dad like she had with her own?

And what insanity had possessed her to think she and Malfoy could be something like friends? Was she delirious? Had he manipulated her somehow? Maybe it had something to do with the dream. Right, that had to be it. It was a different kind of reality. She simply had to focus on her task twice as hard next time. And on top of that, she had to find out what the Slytherin was plotting!

She decided to try again the following night.

… **ooo…**

My feet lead me toward Malfoy's dream door almost on their own. Why have I come here again? To find out his secret? To find out what he's plotting? To understand him better? To spend time with him?

I don't know where these last two questions have come from. Honestly. I shove these confusing thoughts to the back of my mind and instead resolve to play _Magic Works_ on the guitar. The door opens and I have barely enough time to wonder what I'm getting myself into, before I've already slipped through.

I'm back in Malfoy's bedroom. The boy is standing in front of a full-length mirror and doing something with his surprisingly long hair. It's reaching slightly past his shoulders. As I approach him I notice all kinds of magazines littering the ground. They mostly show long-haired members of the Weird Sisters.

"Ugh, this doesn't work," he growls in frustration, dropping his hands to his sides. Then he spots me in the mirror. He tilts his head to the side curiously. "Do you know how to make a fishtail braid?"

The question is so random that I find myself just nodding. Of course I know how to make a fishtail braid!

"Do it for me," he demands, walking back toward his bed and plopping down onto it. He pats the space beside him, inviting me to join him. I notice now that the rock stars in the magazines show off several kinds of braids. I see the connection now.

"What kind of braid do you want?" I ask, sitting down next to him. This is so random. When have I agreed to help him?

"A fishtail braid," he repeats.

"I got that. But… where do you want it? On the sides or…"

He picks up one of the magazines and shows me a picture. The hair of the man in the image is up in a half bun with the sides leading up to it braided fishtail style. Interesting.

"I'll do yours once you're finished with mine," the boy says, looking at me expectantly. I snort. I never said I wanted my hair braided. And especially not by him!

"Turn around," I instruct with a huff, getting more comfortable on the bed. Once he faces away from me, I reach for his hair and enclose the top half of it in my hand. I need a hair tie. His fingers are playing around with several black ties.

"Gimme that," I order, snatching them out of his hand. I tie up the top of his hair (which is incredibly soft) and do the same with the lower part. Then I free another half from the hair I tied up first and start braiding. I've always liked braiding my – or someone else's – hair. It's oddly relaxing. For a moment I'm reverted back to another memory. But whenever I braided Hermione's hair I got stuck because her hair was so frizzy. Malfoy's hair on the other hand is fine and soft.

I'm done with both sides without even realizing it. All that's left to do is removing the leftover hair tie and smoothing everything out.

"You're done," I tell him and before I can say more than that, he sprints toward the mirror and admires himself.

"Wow, that's amazing!" He exclaims, looking at his face from every angle. After, what might be hours he trots back to me, still beaming and gets seated on the bed beside me.

"Now, I'll do yours," he announces, biting his lips excitedly. It's endearing. Especially seeing as he looks more like an elf than a rock star with his new hair style.

"Turn around," he instructs, gesturing for me to do exactly that. I sigh, wondering what in Merlin's name I'm getting myself into but I oblige.

"Close your eyes," he whispers close to my ear. "I want it to be a surprise."

Is he actually serious? I open my eyes to argue but he stops me.

"Come on, don't be a troll." He says, rendering me speechless.

"Did you just call me a troll?" I question in a low dangerous tone.

"No – I just – just do me this favour and then I'll do you a favour in return." Is he pouting? Damn, his eagerness reminds me so much of my brother Simon that I sigh again, crossing my arms in front of my chest and close my eyes. It does sound good, him doing me a favour.

Draco settles behind me, and a second later I can feel his fingers in my hair. As he gets to work, he starts to hum a soft melody and for the third time, I notice that his singing voice is really nice. It's low and smooth but not too deep, making me relax, before I even realize it.

"Your hair is perfect for that," he whispers, his breath is ghosting against my neck, making me shiver.

I frown, shaking my head. "This is so weird," I whisper in return.

"What do you mean?" He asks, running his fingers through my scalp.

"I mean… you're a guy. Why would you like braiding my hair?" I shrug. "Every time I tried to get Simon to braid my hair he flipped me the bird and called me crazy."

"Simon?" Draco asks curiously.

"My brother." I answer.

"I thought your brother's name was 'Harry'?"

"Uh." Right that's what I told him last time. Why does he remember that? "M-my little brother. He's ten."

"So, you've got two brothers?"

I nod. It's a good thing, he doesn't see my face. Lying is much easier that way. The boy's fingers still in my hair.

"I wish I had a sibling," he says with a sigh.

I snort. "Believe me, you don't. There's nothing more annoying than a little brother."

"But you care about him, don't you? He'll always be there for you. No matter what. And if your parents never have time for you, there's at least one person who does." There's so much longing in his voice, I want to look at him but I can't turn around because my had is caged in his hands. And also, I'm not supposed to open my eyes. Obviously.

"I guess you're right," I say instead. I've never thought about it like this before.

"You know, if I was your sibling, I would braid your hair every day." He declares, wrapping a tie around one portion of my hair. I roll my eyes at his dramatics. "And I would never annoy you," he whispers into my ear. He really needs to stop doing that! Then I feel two arms curling around my middle from behind. I tear open my eyes.

"What are you-?" I try to ask, but he squeezes me so tightly that I can barely breathe.

"Your brothers are so lucky to have you," he says against my hair. "You're even good at making fishtail braids."

Is he being serious?

I remove his arms from my stomach and scoot to the other side of the bed. "A fishtail braid, really? I'm so amazing, I can make a fishtail braid." I honestly don't know, where I've got the sarcasm from. Dad is much too vain for sarcasm and Sirius too confident. Mum offers sarcastic comments every now and then but that happens so rarely, that I don't think I've picked it up from her. Maybe it's just something that belongs to me?

"I'm sure there are also other things you're good at," Malfoy reasons.

"Yeah? Like what?" I cross my arms in front of my chest. When has this turned into a discussion about my strengths and insecurities?

"You're good at drawing," the boy offers after a moment of contemplation.

"And?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Well…" He seems to think about it. How promising. "You're really beauti-"

"It's fine," I interrupt him. "You don't have to try to make something up. I know I'm not that special. Aside from being pretty. And being a _Potter_. I'm not even a real _Gryffindor_." I scoff. "I'm not brave at all and much too selfish and-" Why am I saying all this? And why are my eyes starting to burn? I'm not going to cry!

Malfoy watches me, seemingly unsure how to reply. "You're wrong." He says after a while. "I mean you _are_ pretty, obviously. But you're more than that. You don't have to be a Gryffindor to be a good person. Look at _me_." He adds the last part with a grin.

It makes me laugh. Just because it's so ridiculous.

"You're not a good person," I argue softly.

He glares at me. "Hey, I'm trying to make you feel better." He scoots closer to me.

"Try harder." I say with a chuckle.

He frowns, taking me in from head to toe.

"I may not be the best example for a good person but…I think you should stop trying so hard. Maybe you were never meant to be a Gryffindor." He pauses, letting the words hover there for me to contemplate them. "I mean, look at you. You're so creative and talented and almost as good at potions as me."

"I'm better than you," I argue out of reflex. I'm the best in our year. He knows that.

The boy rolls his eyes. "My point is that you're really ambitious and intelligent. I think you would have made an amazing Ravenclaw." He reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. "I would have, too. Wouldn't that have been nice? The two of us in Ravenclaw?"

My first impulse is to pull my hand away and contradict him or better yet laugh at him. But there's something warm in his touch and his grey eyes that makes me reconsider.

"Ravenclaw?" I test the word on my tongue, liking the sound of it. Maybe he's right. Draco smiles at me and nods, brushing away a strand of hair from my face with his other hand. His fingers trace along my cheek with a gentleness that startles me.

His face is right there in front of me and for a moment I feel like he's gazing right into my soul. I can't look away. His eyes are so warm and wistful, they make me feel like he completely understands me. I don't think I've ever felt this close to anyone before. It's as if something just clicks. And there is a kind of golden tinge to everything, giving it an ethereal glow. I wonder if he feels that way, too. His eyes keep wandering over my face, like he's never seen me before. Every time they flick across my lips, I wonder if he's going to kiss me. I don't think I would mind if he did.

But he doesn't. I'm unsure whether to feel relieved or disappointed. Before I can decide, blueish grey eyes make me realise something.

"It's blue." I say with a frown. I think I've destroyed the fragility of the moment.

"What?" He asks.

"The house colour of Ravenclaw. It's blue. Well, and bronze, I guess." The moment is definitely broken.

"Uh… yes." He shrugs.

"Blue is not my colour," I offer as an explanation. "It clashes terribly with my hair."

Draco snorts, leaning away from me and dropping his hand. "That's a pity. Maybe you should dye it then."

I can tell he's just teasing but that doesn't stop me from teasing back. "You dye it first," I challenge, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well," he starts, curling a finger around a blond strand. "I've always wanted green streaks." His voice sounds disinterested but there's a vivid glow in his eyes, saying otherwise.

"As you wish." I chuckle, conjuring up my wand and pointing it at his head. " _Greensleaves_ ," I whisper, thinking up some stupid incantation and imagining green streaks to colour the boy's hair.

It actually works. I laugh loudly, pointing a finger at him.

"What have you done?" He wants to know, jumping up and sprinting toward his mirror again.

"Granted your wish," I say with a smirk. "All that's left now is some eye-liner and you're ready for the next Weird Sisters concert."

"Shall we go then?" He asks turning back around.

"Go where?" I ask, my eyes fixed on his eyes that are now underlined with black. It doesn't look bad.

"The concert," he replies, offering me his hand.

Before I have the chance to reply the bedroom door opens. A girl with white hair and a familiar feather dress gazes inside the room. She finds my eyes and gives me a pointed look. It's the kind of look that says _'Follow me. Or you'll regret it. Bitterly_.' Something like that. This little girl has always seemed much too intimidating for her own good. What is Hedwig doing here in the first place? And how did she get in here?

The look intensifies, causing me to get up and make my way over toward the door. "We'll go another time," I tell the boy and follow the girl out into the bright corridor.

"So, how is it going?" She asks me as soon as the door has fallen shut.

"Um… what?" I need a moment to switch from the green streaks incident to the owl – turned little girl.

Hedwig clucks her tongue impatiently. "Have you found out yet?"

"Oh… I – I'm still working on that," I admit, biting my lips. I forgot to ask him again!

The white-haired girl stares at me in a way that makes me feel like she read my mind. "Are you?" She asks, tilting her head to the side sceptically.

I nod.

"I had the impression you were kind of… distracted. Are you even trying to find out or is there a different reason for your dream visits?"

My eyes widen. "Wha-what are you talking about? Of course I'm still trying – why else would I be here?"

Hedwig scoffs. "I don't know. You tell me." I want to protest but the girl keeps talking. "All right then. If you say so. Good luck on your mission." She winks, sending me a mysterious smile, before turning around and leaving me to stare after her with my mouth gaping open.

Should I go back into his dream? No. What if Hedwig somehow found a way to get into the dream again? My own dream then? But that doesn't seem like the best plan either. What would I do there? I don't know for how long I simply stand there, trying not to think about the implications of the girl's visit. Or that intimate moment I shared with Malfoy only moments ago. I can't think about that now. Or ever. The more I try not to think about it the more I end up doing so. Until at last, the colours fade away and I feel my consciousness being pulled away to another place.

 **… ooo…**

The following morning, Haley wasn't sure if she was actually awake or still asleep. The dream visiting had left her extremely tired.

"This is your third cup of coffee," Hermione noted, watching her pour herself another cup of the dark liquid.

"I know," she commented, taking a sip and feeling the caffeine sink into her bloodstream.

"Is there a particular reason you're this tired?" She inquired, glancing at her hand pointedly.

"Didn't sleep well," Haley replied slightly annoyed. It wasn't even a lie. Not really. And she was still kind of mad that her so-called _friend_ had taken her gobstone without telling her.

"You're sure it doesn't have anything to do with a certain green gobstone?" Hermione pressed in an oddly casual tone.

"The gobstone, you stole from me, you mean?" She replied sweetly, buttering her toast with more force than would have been necessary.

"I found it lying on the ground next to your bed!" Hermione hissed defiantly. "And regardless of that how can I steal something that has already been stolen?"

The two girls glared at one another, the air around them electrified and loaded.

"You have to give it back to him." Hermione urged, her eyes glinting with determination.

Haley held her gaze unblinkingly. "I will." She bit out. "And I don't _have to_ do anything."

"When?"

"As soon as I don't need it any more."

"So, you _are_ still using it!"

"Hermione, you don't get it!"

"I think I do-"

"I _have_ to do this!" Haley exploded, frustration colouring her voice.

Hermione blinked in surprise. Obviously she hadn't expected such a strong reaction.

"Why?" She asked after a quiet moment.

Haley shrugged. She kept asking herself exactly the same question. _Why_. Why did she keep visiting Malfoy in his dreams but could never bring herself to inquire about his secret?

"I'm still… figuring that out," she finally said.

"But Haley," Hermione placed her arms on the table, staring at her friend even more intensely. "Do you even have an idea what you're doing? You might be seriously harming him!" She whispered this, so no one at the table besides them was able to overhear.

"I'm not harming him," she answered. "I'm more than careful. I might as well be treating him with kid gloves!" And then it hit her. She _was_ treating him with kid gloves. That's why she wasn't able to figure out what Malfoy was hiding. She wasn't even _trying_ for real. Because there was a part of her inside her that opposed to all of this. Her sneaking into his dreams and stealing his deepest secrets from underneath his nose without him even knowing or being able to defend himself. That was why she had been hesitating. Even after everything he had done to her. She didn't want to sink this low. If she was going to find out about his secret, shouldn't he be aware of it at least? Shouldn't he get the chance to stop her?

This was her mum talking. Haley knew it. But even without her mum's voice meddling inside her head, she could see that it was wrong to intrude on someone's privacy in such an invasive manner. It was deceitful and more than a little questionable. And she couldn't do it. Didn't _want_ to do it.

At least not to the boy she had visited in his dreams. He was so different from the mean, despicable git that had made her life a living hell. Intruding on _his_ privacy, she had no qualms about. He deserved much worse.

The boy on the other hand, the one she had laughed and shared memorable moments with… the one who was kind, fun and emphathetic and who was a fanboy of the Weird Sisters… She didn't want to do this to him. She didn't know how it had happened but she had started to care about him. Liked talking to and spending time with him. She had to admit that much. There was no use denying it.

But then, what was she supposed to do? Give up and admit defeat?

After everything she had had to endure?

Haley couldn't do that either. There had to be another way. A way to get back at him fair and square.

Sensing the change in her demeanour, something shifted in Hermione's eyes as well.

"Let me help you," she offered softly, placing her hand on top of Haley's.

"I wish you could," The girl answered. There was so much she wanted to tell her friend. But she couldn't bring herself to talk about everything that was warring inside her. Friendship was strange. Only a second ago they had been at each others throats and now… all seemed well again. Maybe that was the key. Friendship.

…

* * *

A/N: Hey everyone! I might have went a little wild with the braiding scene. I was aiming for something cute. Well... it was less strange in my mind xD Thanks for reading and leave me your thoughts :)


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